July 10 (Reuters) – Algeria has fully reopened its national airspace to air traffic from Mali, effective Friday, allowing all flights to and from the West African country, Algerian state media reported.
Both countries had closed their airspace to each other’s aircraft in April 2025 after Algeria said its military had shot down a Malian surveillance drone that had violated its airspace. Mali rejected Algeria’s account, saying the drone crashed inside Malian territory.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune early on Saturday also ordered the return of his country’s ambassador to Mali’s capital, Bamako.
Algeria recalled its ambassador for consultations in April last year in the wake of the diplomatic row between the two countries.
(Reporting by Enas Alashray and Menna Alaa El-Din; Writing by Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Peter Graff and Edmund Klamann)
