Mali threatens to revoke airline landing slots over embargo

Airlines flying to Mali, which has been placed under sanctions by West Africa’s regional economic bloc, must confirm whether they will continue to operate within 72 hours, or risk losing their landing slots. 

“After this deadline, their time slots will be handed to other airlines, in order to assure continued services,” Mali’s Transport Minister Madina Sissoko Dembele said in a statement. The deadline applies from Saturday and follows the imposition of sanctions by the Economic Community of West African States.

Air France-KLM has already suspended flights to Mali’s capital, Bamako, despite not being covered by the sanctions, joining regional airlines Air Senegal and Air Cote d’Ivoire.