Mali’s ruling junta has cancelled the authorisation given to Air France to resume flights to the country, two senior officials and an air transport official said Wednesday.
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The announcement came a day after Air France announced the resumption of flights from Friday after suspending them on August 7 following the coup in neighbouring Niger.
“The decision has been cancelled because the agreement was given without consulting the hierarchy,” said one official.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official added that Mali’s director of civil aviation had been dismissed, without saying on what grounds.
“There will be no Air France flight on Friday,” a second official said. “This must be done in a responsible and coordinated manner, all while respecting our sovereignty.”
The air transport official confirmed that “authorisation has been cancelled”, without providing further details.
“It is clear that flights will not resume on Friday,” he said.
Air France had announced on Tuesday that it would resume service with a plane and crews from a third-party company.
(AFP)
