Algeria has decided to fully reopen its national airspace to Malian air traffic, in a move that confirms the path of de-escalation and openness that the country’s authorities are pursuing towards the Sahel region, after months of sharp tensions that reached their peak with Bamako following the downing of a Malian drone that violated Algerian airspace.
The Ministry of National Defense announced in a statement on Friday that Algeria has decided “starting from Friday, July 10, 2026, to fully reopen its national airspace to Malian air traffic,” explaining that the decision includes “all flights to and from the country of Mali via various international destinations.”
This decision comes more than a year after the airspace was closed to Malian flights, following a severe diplomatic crisis that erupted between the two countries after the Algerian army announced in April 2025 that it had shot down a Malian drone that had violated the country's airspace, in an incident that constituted one of the most serious points of tension between Algeria and the military authorities in Bamako.
Prior to that, relations between the two countries had entered an unprecedented phase of deterioration, after the Malian authorities announced the cancellation of the peace and reconciliation agreement stemming from the Algiers process signed in 2015, which Algeria considered a blow to the mediation efforts it had led for years to resolve the Malian crisis.
However, recent months have witnessed a gradual shift in relations, with a growing trend prioritizing dialogue and economic openness as a means to address regional crises. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in recent statements coinciding with the events in Bamako and the attempted coup, emphasized that the solution to the crisis in Mali "cannot be solely security-based," stressing the necessity of dialogue among the various Malian parties. He also noted that the head of Mali's transitional government, General Assimi Goïta, had not made any offensive statements towards Algeria, a sign that paved the way for a reduction in tensions between the two countries.
The decision to reopen airspace with Mali coincides with a marked improvement in Algeria's relations with Niger, which had also experienced a crisis following the military coup in July 2013, before witnessing a gradual return to cooperation in recent months. Algeria and Niamey have successfully overcome a significant portion of their political differences by focusing on joint economic projects, most notably the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which will connect Nigeria to Algeria via Niger.
These projects coincided with intensive political moves between the two countries, which began with the visit of Nigerien President Abdourahmane Tiéné to Algeria last February, which marked a turning point in restoring warmth to bilateral relations, before continuing through the convening of the Joint High Commission and the signing of about twenty cooperation agreements, in addition to the exchange of ministerial visits to follow up on the implementation of joint projects.
Observers believe that the decision to reopen the airspace to Malian flights falls within this new approach, which relies on easing tensions with the Sahel countries and gradually rebuilding trust, especially in light of the intertwined security and economic interests between Algeria and its southern neighbors.
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