Gambiaj.com – (BAMAKO, Mali) –  A sudden kerosene shortage at Modibo Keïta International Airport in Bamako, Mali, has brought significant disruption to airline operations. According to a letter from the director of the National Civil Aviation Agency, the fuel supply will be unavailable from Tuesday, July 9, to Monday, July 15, forcing airlines to modify or cancel flights.

The Malian transitional authorities have not provided specific reasons for the shortage, but it is attributed to logistical and transport management issues. Ethiopian Airlines and Turkish Airlines are among those that have already notified passengers of the changes.

Efforts to seek clarity from the Malian Ministry of Transport and officials in charge of national aeronautics activities have yielded no answers. Asecna, the Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar, confirmed being informed of the situation but also lacks detailed explanations. “There is information that falls under national sovereignty and is not accessible,” a senior executive from Asecna stated, citing governance issues related to transport and logistics.

The expert from the African Air Navigation Agency highlighted the impact of the deteriorating security situation in Mali. Convoys transporting kerosene, which used to take five days to reach Bamako from coastal ports, now take two weeks due to the necessity of military escorts.

This week-long fuel shortage is causing significant inconvenience to passengers with planned personal or professional trips and companies relying on air freight. Despite the kerosene scarcity, Bamako airport remains operational, leaving airlines to find alternative ways to refuel their aircraft. The last similar incident occurred in October when kerosene stocks were halved for several days due to issues at the airport fuel depot.