A letter from the Director General of the National Civil Aviation Agency, reports the “unavailability of fuel” for the period from Tuesday, July 9th to Monday, July 15th. The Malian transitional authorities have not specified the causes, but logistical and transportation management issues are involved. As a result, airlines are being forced to cancel some flights.
Several airlines, including Ethiopian Airlines and Turkish Airlines, have already informed their passengers about modifications or cancellations of their flights. According to the letter from the Director General of the National Civil Aviation Agency, Bamako Airport will not be supplied with kerosene (Jet A1) until next Monday.
When contacted by RFI, neither the Malian Ministry of Transport nor the officials responsible for national aeronautical activities provided explanations for the shortage. The Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (Asecna) has been informed but also lacks official explanations. “There are matters of national sovereignty that are not accessible,” explained a senior Asecna official. “It primarily involves governance issues related to transport and logistics.”
This aviation expert highlighted the constraints posed by the deteriorating security situation in the country. “Convoys that used to take five days to deliver kerosene to Bamako from coastal ports now take two weeks because they require military escorts,” the source detailed.
The week-long shortage is not only a significant inconvenience for passengers with personal or professional travel plans but also impacts businesses relying on air freight for their goods.
Despite the shortage, Bamako Airport continues to operate, with airlines needing to find alternative ways to fuel their aircraft. Last October, the available kerosene stock for airlines was halved for a few days due to maintenance work on the airport’s fuel depot.