How the Crisis in Mali Led to Imminent Pullout of Air France From Liberia

Monrovia — Liberia is on the verge on losing the flights of the only airliner making daily trips to the country due to the ongoing crisis in Mali and a trip to France by the Minister of Transport, Mr. Samuel Wlue, could not salvage the situation.

Air France will reportedly make its last trip to the Roberts International Airport (RIA) on March 28. A source familiar with the development informed FrontPageAfrica that the French airline does not have a viable operation in Liberia without transiting in Bamako, Mali.

When the airline announced its return to Liberia nearly six years before its pullout in 2011, it announced that its return to Liberia was a continuation of its service to Bamako. Being a French airliner, the Air France prioritizes francophone countries.

Air France KLM suspended flights to and from Mali as of Jan. 13. This was in accordance with the decision of the French authorities. It remains unclear how long the measure will remain in place. The measure follows recent sanctions imposed but the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the Malian government. The sanctions included the closure of land and air borders of its member states with Mali.

This mean, Liberia can longer accept flights coming from Mali due to the sanction placed by ECOWAS.

The new sanctions were triggered by months of growing tensions between ECOWAS and the military-dominated transitional government over the timetable for Mali’s return to civilian rule after two successful coups d’état led by Colonel Assimi Goita, who currently heads the transitional government. The first coup, which occurred in August 2020, deposed the elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, amid street protests against his rule over corruption, the mismanagement of the economy and a dispute over legislative elections. In line with the relevant provisions of its Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, and the Supplementary Act A/SP.2/08/11 on Sanctions Against Member States That Fail to Honour Their Obligations to ECOWAS, ECOWAS imposed trade restrictions and border closures and suspended Mali from all its decision-making bodies. Following dialogue with the ECOWAS appointed mediator, former president of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan, the military junta handed over power to a civilian-led transitional government and pledged to hold elections within 18 months.

This will in return not only affect the Liberian economy adversely but will also affect thousands of travelers traveling to Europe and America as Air France because one of the preferred choices that made routing easier due to limited options.

At the occasion marking the resumption of the flight to Liberia, Mr. Henri Hourcade, Air France’s Vice President for Africa said the resumption was a strong symbol of the strengthened partnership between France and Liberia, and will undoubtedly aim at reinforcing the business and friendship relations between the two countries as well as promoting culture in both sides.

In addition, he said, it will reinforce the business between Liberia and the rest of the world, adding that the airline’s hub in Paris Charles de Gaulle offers very good connections to the United States, United Kingdom, Lebanon, India and China, among others.

“We’re coming with daily flights which have thought to have the best connections to the U.S. via Paris and I think we have today the best product for that – we have the best price, we have the best connection, the shortest connection to the U.S. East Coat and the West Coast and we are coming with our latest plane, the latest generation,” he said.

Currently the only airlines flying to Liberia are: Brussels Airlines (SN)4 destinations; Air France (AF)3 destinations; Africa World Airlines (AW)2 destinations; ASKY Airlines (KP)2 destinations; Royal Air Maroc (AT)2 destinations; Air Cote D’Ivoire (HF) 2 destinations; Kenya Airways (KQ)1 destination. Of these airlines, it’s only Air France and SN Brussels that fly directly to Europe from Liberia.

The country is already grappling with increased petroleum prices which was motivated by the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.

The airline had endured a turbulent run in Liberia.

In 2012, poor and dilapidated runaway at the Roberts International Airport inflicted damage on an AF752 which caused a rugged landing with damage set at almost a half a million dollars.

The forced landing Plane’s bottom right, main landing gear, hydraulic holes, brakes, and right main landing gear axle assembly ruined during a landing mishap. Perhaps the incident sparked the writing on the wall for the airline amid reports that Air France Airlines was contemplating ending its route to Liberia.

At the time Air France took its exit, the RIA’s runway was in poor condition and needed work.

In 2013, Sirleaf acknowledged that the country was in desperate need of upgrading its international airport to meet international standards after aviation advisors cautioned that the airport could lose flights due to the poor state of its runway and its inadequately trained staff.

The Sirleaf administration made the upgrade of the RIA a priority toward the end of her term in office, resulting in the construction of a new terminal.

However, the management of the new airport has been the latest challenge posed to the aviation sector. In late February, Royal Maroc had to abruptly abort a landing at the RIA due to sudden blackout on the runway and the control towers.

By FrontPageAfrica.