The ongoing diplomatic tension between Algiers and Bamako is significantly disrupting air travel, with Turkish Airlines announcing flight cancellations and route adjustments for its services to Mali.
The airline confirmed several flight cancellations between Istanbul and Bamako in April 2025. This decision is a direct consequence of the airspace closure between Mali and Algeria, which followed Algeria’s downing of a Malian drone between March 31st and April 1st. The incident has severely strained relations between the two North African nations.
Faced with the closed airspace, Turkish Airlines is now вынуждена to reroute its flights via Morocco. This detour adds approximately one hour to both outbound and return journeys. Compounding the issue, intermittent shortages of jet fuel at Bamako’s Modibo Keïta International Airport have also led to additional flight cancellations throughout the month.
The canceled flights include departures from Istanbul on April 17th, 20th, 24th, and 26th, with corresponding return flights from Bamako on April 18th, 21st, 25th, and 27th. To mitigate the impact on passengers, Turkish Airlines intends to deploy wide-body aircraft on flights preceding and following the canceled dates. The airline is also offering passengers the flexibility to change their already issued tickets free of charge within the same booking class, for travel within seven days before or fifteen days after the original flight dates. Passengers seeking changes are advised to include the note “involuntary change due to flight cancellation” when rebooking. Reclassification to a higher cabin may be possible if economy class is unavailable.
This situation underscores the far-reaching consequences of regional political tensions on international transportation networks, particularly at a time when air travel between Europe and the Sahel region is already facing various pressures.
MD/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA