Passengers aboard a British Airways Airbus A380 on a scheduled flight from Johannesburg to London Heathrow found themselves on an unexpected and frustrating “flight to nowhere” lasting 10 hours due to the sudden closure of Niger’s airspace late on Sunday night. The closure, prompted by a military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, has caused disruption for flights between the UK and South Africa, with reroutes, diversions for extra fuel, and even return trips to departure points becoming necessary.
The Ecowas regional bloc responded to the coup by threatening intervention to restore the ousted leader, prompting the ruling junta, led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, to swiftly close Niger’s vast airspace. Covering an area six times that of Great Britain, the closure took effect at 11.22pm British time, catching several UK-South Africa flights already in the air.
This airspace closure compounds the existing challenges for commercial aviation in the region, as airspace over Sudan and Libya is already off-limits. The addition of Niger creates a substantial barrier for north-south flights across Africa, spanning approximately 2,600 miles from western Niger to the Red Sea. The situation underscores the significant disruptions caused by political developments, forcing airlines and passengers to navigate complex and rapidly changing conditions.
