Numerous airlines have experienced longer and more fuel-intensive flights as a result of the shutdown of Niger‘s airspace since Sunday.
For most trips from Europe to the south of the continent, it adds at least two hours to the travel time or up to 1,000 kilometres (600 miles).
Following a threat of military action from the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, if President Mohamed Bazoum was not restored, Niger’s junta shut down the airspace.
While some flights were already in the air and required rerouting, others had to fly back to their departure points as a result of the announcement.
On Sunday night, Harriet Sergeant took a British Airways flight out of Nairobi.
“We had retired to bed… The captain awakened us up about four hours later and informed us that we had to return since Niger had closed its airspace. Simply put, there wasn’t enough fuel for everyone. Therefore, we were forced to return, which was a pretty awful sensation, she stated.
Airspace over Libya and the Sudan had previously been avoided by aircraft.
Flights were prohibited from Sudan after the country’s turmoil.
In addition to the US and Canada, other European nations, notably Germany, France, and the UK, forbid their civilian planes from flying in Libyan airspace.
Airlines will now need to modify their procedures to account for the additional miles added to their flights. which will result in each flight requiring more fuel, leading to the cost.
The former colonial power France is being accused of attempting to undermine Niger by the country’s military dictatorship.
It claimed that a French aircraft had violated the country’s closed airspace.
Additionally, it claimed that in order to assault military targets, French soldiers had released detained jihadists.
The French government has not yet responded.
Mohamed Bazoum, the legitimately elected president of Niger, was deposed at the end of last month, and since then, the coup leaders have resisted diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had claimed to have spoken with Mr. Bazoum and given him assurances of continued support.
On Thursday, the regional bloc Ecowas, which has threatened military involvement, is expected to convene to discuss its next course of action.