Airlines Suspend Flights In Mali Due To Aviation Fuel Shortage

Airlines serving Bamako Modibo Keita International Airport (BKO) in Mali have been forced to cancel or divert flights over the last two days due to jet fuel shortages at the airport. The situation is expected to remain the same until July 15, 2024.

Jet fuel shortages at Bamako Airport

International airlines, including Royal Air Maroc, Air Senegal, and Turkish Airlines, canceled their flights to Bamako between July 08 and 11. Domestic carrier Sky Mali also canceled some flights between Bamako and other Malian cities. This follows a notice from local authorities warning of fuel shortages at Bamako Airport and advising airlines to refuel at airports in neighboring countries.

Photo: Tom Boon | Simple Flying

In a letter dated July 8, 2024, the Director General of the National Civil Aviation Agency of Mali (ANAC) requested the representative to Mali of the regional air traffic control agency ASECNA to issue a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) alerting operators of the unavailability of Jet A1 fuel at Modibo Keita-Senou International Airport from July 9 to July 15, 2024. Ould Mamouni, a Ministry of Transport spokesperson, said to Reuters,

“There are a lot of flight operations these days, and that has affected the fuel stock. This is to announce to companies that, given the limited fuel stock, they will not be able to refuel in Bamako; they can consider obtaining supplies in neighboring countries before coming to Mali.”

Sky Mali, a private airline serving domestic destinations from Bamako, announced the cancelation of at least four flights on July 10. According to the airline’s statement, flights ML105, 106, 109, and 110 between Bamako, Kayes, and Timbuktu were canceled due to the jet fuel shortages at the airport. The airline apologized for the inconvenience caused, saying,

“Sky Mali apologizes for the inconvenience caused by this situation, which affects all airlines in Bamako-Senou, and is currently taking all necessary measures to be able to operate its flights again as soon as possible. Sky Mali will inform its customers as soon as flights resume.”

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Flight disruptions in Bamako

Flightradar24 shows that disruptions at the airport started shortly after communication from the Director of the National Civil Aviation Agency. Many flights to the airport were canceled, while others were diverted and delayed. On July 10, a Tunisair Airbus A320 operating Flight TU399 from Abidjan was scheduled to arrive in Bamako at 00:00 local time. However, it was forced to divert to Tunis Carthage Airport (TUN).

Photo: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock
 

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines hasn’t operated any flights to Bamako since July 8, 2024. The airline currently has up to six weekly flights (TK550) scheduled from Istanbul to Bamako on the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A330. It is unclear whether the airline’s flights will remain suspended for a longer period. Simple Flying reached out to the airline for comment, and we will update the article with any response.

Other airlines were forced to adapt their carrying capacity or add a technical stop before proceeding to Bamako. Data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that about 13 scheduled passenger airlines serve Bamako, with over 100 flights per week. Togo’s ASKY Airlines is the top international carrier to Bamako, with 18 weekly flights, followed by Ethiopian Airlines with 14, and Royal Air Maroc with 11. The other carriers include Air Algerie, Air Burkina, and Corsair.

Air France previously served Bamako daily from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). However, it was forced to suspend flights for security reasons in August 2023 following the coup in Niger and the resulting airspace closure. The airline has not resumed flights to Bamako since then, as Malian authorities rejected its plans to return.