Aviation in Bamako – Africa's Fastest Growing City

Bamako is the capital and largest city of the land-locked West African country of Mali, and currently estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa (sixth fastest in the world). It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the Upper and Middle Niger Valleys, in the southwestern part of the country and is the nation's administrative centre, with a river port located in nearby Koulikoro and a major regional trade and conference centre.

As a land-locked country, Mali relies on its air transportation system to access other parts of the continent and the world and Bamako Sénou International Airport (IATA: BKO; ICAO: GABS) is the sole international gateway into the country. Opened in 1974 and located around 15km to the south of the city centre it is currently served by 14 airlines, which offer 108 weekly flights to 17 destinations. Just like the city of Bamako, it is growing rapidly with O&D passenger numbers rising to 681,029 in 2010. According to official statistics from operator Aéroports du Mali this O&D traffic is supplemented by a further 100,000 passengers per year that transit in Bamako and connect on to other destinations.

Its three largest markets by capacity are Dakar (19 flights per week by Air Burkina, Compagnie Aérienne du Mali, Kenya Airways and Senegal Airlines), Abidjan (14 flights per week by Benin Golf Airlines, Compagnie Aérienne du Mali, Ethiopian Airlines and Tunis Air) and Ouagadougou (13 flights per week by Air Burkina, Compagnie Aérienne du Mali, Ethiopian Airlines and Senegal Airlines).

The table above also illustrates the importance of key trade routes outside of Africa. Links are offered six times weekly to Paris CDG by Air France, four times weekly to Paris Orly by Air Méditerranée and weekly to Barcelona by Spanair. The latter has recently announced plans to add a second weekly rotation from Barcelona on June 1, while TAP Portugal will inaugurate a three times weekly connection from Lisbon on June 5 as it further expands its activities in Africa, a market where it boosted traffic by around 12 per cent last year to 602,000 passengers and is forecasting a further 13 per cent rise this year.

To support the increasing demand Aéroports du Mali secured Government and International Bank of Mali investment in 2009 to expand the airport. A new freight facility was opened in March last year with a capacity to handle up to 10,000 tonnes of cargo and has the scope to increase its capacity by around 15 per cent in the future. A new 1.2 mppa terminal building is under construction, while extensions to the runway and taxiways are in progress.

Bamako is the seventh largest West African urban center after Lagos, Abidjan, Kano, Ibadan, Dakar and Accra and local manufacturing covers such products as textiles, processed meat, and metal goods, alongside commercial fishing on the Niger River. Given its strategic position, Bamako is also quickly absorbing interesting cultural and traditional customs from its neighbours, creating a unique and inspiring destination for the intrepid traveller.

But, there is more to Mali than just its capital. The country spreads across 1,241,238 square kilometers of land bordering Mauritania and Algeria to the north, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast in the south, Guinea to the southwest, and Senegal in the west. It has a population of an estimated 15 million, the majority living in Bamako and other major cities such as Gao, Kayes, Mpoti and Sikasso, and it is also home to the ancient city of Timbuktu, still believed by many to be a fictional location.

Alongside Bamako Sénou International it has eight other airports open to scheduled international traffic in Gao, Goundam, Kayes, Mpoti, Nioro, Sikasso, Timbuktu and Yélimane. These provide quick links to many of the country’s historical monuments, among them the grave of the 333 saints, Badiangara cliffs, the Djenné mosque, the waterfall of Felou and the Fort of Medine, the wall of Tata, the falls of Farako and the Mamelon. The country’s domestic market is limited. In 2009 just 18,712 passengers flew within the country’s borders, according to official statistics, with Timbuktu (6,013), Loulou (2,779), Mopti (2,734) and Kayes (2,660) the largest facilities.

The country is stepped in history having been once part of three major West African dynasties that controlled trans-Saharan trade. As the birthplace of many empires and kingdoms it is characterised by a rich, varied culture where tradition and modernity coexist in a harmonious wave of ethnic mixing. With impressive Malian plains, beautiful plateaus, and a vast desert to the north, flora lined savannas and steppes with typical trees (Nere, Shea, tamarind, baobab) and fauna (giraffes, elephants, lions, elk derby), as well as its rivers and lakes of rare beauty and many historical sites, Mali is emerging as a growing tourist destination.

The Mali economy is based on agriculture, livestock, mining, immigration, and tourism, but is now also an attractive destination for foreign investment. The strengthening of democracy and individual freedoms have created a stable political and social environment and ongoing reforms make it easy to do business. And this is something the route development community can witness first hand as Bamako will be the location for this year’s Routes Africa regional forum, hosted by Aéroports du Mali at the five-star LAICO l'Amitié Bamako Hotel between July 3 and 5.

Now in its sixth year, Routes Africa offers an unrivalled platform for airlines, airports and key stakeholders to do business face to face with the key decision makers in the industry. Air service development to and within Africa is vital for the economic and development of the African continent, its countries and regions. Air services are a catalyst for inward investment, jobs and tourism. The African region provides many opportunities for air service development and is one of the few regions where passenger traffic has continued to show strong growth as the world comes out of the global financial crisis.

“We would be happy to welcome everyone to Mali, a place of history, myths and legends,” said Aya Thiam Diallo, Président and Directeur Général, Aéroports du Mali. “Mali is a country of great hospitality, with huge cultural diversity: the mysterious Timbuktu, Mopti - the Venice of Mali, the Dogon country where natives live traditional lives based on ancient cultures and beliefs, and the Mosque of Djenné, which is the largest mud brick building in the world and considered by many architects to be the greatest achievement of the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style, are all highlights of the region, and we encourage delegates to experience them!”

For more information on the Routes Africa 2011 event or to register, please click here.

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