Airport

Departing from Bamako-Sénou airport (BKO)

Last checked 24 October 2026 · 12 sources

Short answer

The UK FCDO says people in Mali should leave by commercial flight if they judge it safe ¹. Aéroports du Mali said on 27 April 2026 that security checks on roads to the airport were reinforced and passengers should allow extra time, as reported by Seneweb ². Guards search vehicles before they enter the airport ³. Exporting cultural objects needs a permit ⁴. Mali and Algeria closed their airspace to each other on 7 April 2025 ^5,6. TSA reported that Algeria reopened its airspace to Malian traffic on 10 July 2026 ¹¹.

Road checks: Reinforced on airport access roads from 27 April 2026 notice ²
Vehicle search: Before entering the airport ³
Cultural objects: Export permit from the Ministry of Arts and Culture ⁴
Flight disruption: Cancellations at short notice possible ³
Algeria airspace: Closed both ways on 7 April 2025 ⁶. Algeria reopened to Malian traffic on 10 July 2026, as reported by TSA ¹¹. Mali's reopening reported only by Air Journal, 19 July 2026 ¹²
Direct flights to Europe: Corsair to Paris-Orly, per a 26 April 2024 report ⁷

Getting to the airport

Seneweb reported on 28 April 2026 that Aéroports du Mali issued a statement dated 27 April 2026, signed by chairman and CEO Colonel Major Lassina Togola ². The statement said security checks were reinforced on roads leading to President Modibo Keita-Sénou International Airport and asked travellers to allow extra time so they do not miss flights ². The report did not give a number of hours or an end date ².

The UK FCDO says guards search vehicles before they enter the airport ³. Canada advises caution on the airport access roads ⁸. RTBF reported on 29 April 2026 that passengers whose flights left during curfew hours could travel to the airport ⁹.

What to carry out of Mali

Declare goods that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty, per the UK FCDO ⁴.
Cultural or archaeological objects need an export permit from the Ministry of Arts and Culture, obtained from the director of the National Museum ⁴.

Checks at the airport

When flights resumed on 26 April 2026, the Ministry of Transport said passengers passed all checkpoints before boarding, as reported by Senego ¹⁰. The UK FCDO says security at the airport is heavy ³. Screening rules and passenger data are covered on a separate page of this site.

Flights and disruption

The UK FCDO says inbound and outbound flights, including international flights, can be cancelled at short notice or diverted, and travellers should watch messages from their airline ³. It says the airport closed temporarily after an attack nearby on 25 April 2026 ³. Senego reported that operations resumed at 6:00 on 26 April 2026 ¹⁰.

RTBF reported, citing the Belgian foreign ministry, that an energy crisis lasting more than a year was affecting air traffic ⁹. The UK FCDO reports a fuel shortage in Mali ³.

Date	Event	Status
August 2023 ⁷	Air France suspended Paris to Bamako flights and Malian authorities revoked its authorisation ⁷	Historical, reported 26 April 2024 ⁷
7 April 2025 ⁵	Algeria banned flights to and from Mali ⁵	Lifted by Algeria's defence ministry on 10 July 2026, as reported by TSA ¹¹
7 April 2025 ⁶	Mali closed its airspace to aircraft bound for or from Algeria ⁶	Reported lifted by Air Journal on 19 July 2026, no Malian official text cited ¹²
25 April 2026 ¹⁰	Flights suspended after attacks in Bamako ¹⁰	Resumed 26 April 2026 ¹⁰

Airlines and routes

A Belgian government report of 26 April 2024 said Corsair was the only airline with direct flights from Europe to Bamako, from Paris-Orly ⁷. It said Bamako-Sénou had direct links to 14 other countries and listed Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Turkish Airlines and Air Algérie among one-stop options from Brussels ⁷. Routes may have changed since that date.

Official advice on leaving

The UK FCDO says people in Mali should leave immediately by commercial flight if they judge it safe, and should not try to leave overland ¹. RTBF reported that Belgium told its nationals on 29 April 2026 to leave Mali immediately and advised strongly against leaving by road ⁹. This site reports official advice only.

Common questions

How early should I get to Bamako airport?

Aéroports du Mali asked travellers on 27 April 2026 to allow extra time for road checks, without giving a number of hours ².

Can I fly from Bamako to Algeria?

Mali and Algeria closed their airspace to each other on 7 April 2025 ⁶. TSA reported that Algeria's defence ministry reopened Algerian airspace to all flights to and from Mali on 10 July 2026 ¹¹. Air Journal reported on 19 July 2026 that Mali had reopened its airspace to flights to and from Algeria ¹².

Do I need a permit to take artefacts out of Mali?

Yes. The UK FCDO says cultural objects need an export permit from the Ministry of Arts and Culture ⁴.

Is Bamako airport open?

It reopened on 26 April 2026 after a closure on 25 April 2026, as reported by Senego ¹⁰.

Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].

Sources

Arriving at Bamako-Sénou airport (BKO)
What arriving passengers at Bamako-Sénou airport need: visa before travel, yellow fever proof, customs, security and transport warnings.
Bamako airport security and passenger data
Security checks at Bamako-Senou airport, access road controls, the waiting area for refused passengers and recent closures, with dated sources.
Mali travel advisories compared
What the UK, US, France and Canada say about Mali, with each page date: overall level, roads, Bamako airport and entry documents.
Mali's borders with Mauritania and Algeria
The Gogui crossing, Mauritanian rules for Malian residents, the Mali and Algeria airspace closures and reopening and what official advisories say.
Airlines and routes from Bamako-Sénou (BKO)
Airlines at Bamako-Sénou with dated sources: Corsair, Royal Air Maroc, Air France's exit, Sky Mali domestic flights and Algerian airspace.