Mauritania, Mali, Niger to establish new regional airline

Air Afrique founding members Mali, Mauritania and Niger have announced plans to establish a new regional carrier. In a joint statement issued following a three day trilateral summit involving the heads of states of each respective nation, it was announced that an ad hoc committee is to be established which will hold its first meeting in Bamako on January 17 and 18. Among the committee's first tasks are the "drawing up of a timetable for the establishment of the airline." Mali's president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, said the need to establish the carrier was driven by a lack of competitive local airlines capable of competing with larger regional and international operators. At present time, aside from Mauritania Airlines International, neither Mali nor Niger has an operational national carrier. ch-aviation