KLM flights also detouring after Niger closed airspace

Several flights of the airline KLM have been detoured due to the closure of the airspace over Niger. As a result, travelers are on average delayed by about 15 to 20 minutes, according to a spokesperson.

This mainly affects flights to and from Johannesburg and Cape Town, said he spokesperson. Flights to and from Entebbe in Uganda are also slightly delayed. Meanwhile, passengers on flights to and from Accra, the capital of Ghana, and Lagos in Nigeria face fewer disruptions, the spokesperson added.

The military junta in Niger decided to close the country's airspace indefinitely on Sunday evening. This decision, announced on national television, was made in light of threats of military intervention in Niger.

Following this announcement, Air France suspended its flights to and from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and Bamako in Mali until Friday. British Airlines flights are also being rerouted. The German Ministry of Defense called the junta's decision a setback for the German army, which has troops stationed in Mali, a neighboring country. The closure complicates their withdrawal, according to a spokesperson.

Niger is not the only African country with closed airspace. Restrictions are also in place over Sudan and Libya.