Cablegate: Mali Travel Alert: Bamako Airport Closures And

VZCZCXRO3178
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHBP #1276 3031645
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301645Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAMAKO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8362
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BAMAKO 001276

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR SOCI OVIP OTRA CASC ML
SUBJECT: MALI TRAVEL ALERT: BAMAKO AIRPORT CLOSURES AND
LACK OF HOTEL SPACE IN NOVEMBER

1. The Community of Democracies Ministerial Conference is
scheduled for Bamako, Mali from Nov. 14-17. The Conference
is expected to attract between 1500 and 3000 attendees, and
visitors are likely to encounter significant difficulties
making hotel and flight reservations during this time.

2. Additionally, Bamako International Airport will be closed
intermittently from October 30 to November 6 for runway
repairs. According to the National Civil Aviation Agency,
300 meters of the airport's 2700 meter runway will be closed
on October 30-31. The runway will remain open, however, to
all aircraft for these two days. On Nov. 1-2 the runway will
be closed to all traffic with no landings or take-offs
permitted. The airport will reopen 2,250 meters of the
runway on Nov. 3-4, limiting access to aircraft weighing less
than 40 tons (this would preclude the normally scheduled Air
France Flight). The runway will be closed to all traffic
once again from Nov. 5-6. According to the Director of Civil
Aviation, the airport will return to full capacity on Nov. 7
provided the runway repairs are completed as scheduled.

3. We are separately sending CA a draft warden message to
inform the local American community
McCulley

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