Modibo Keita International Airport (formerly Bamako–Sénou International Airport) is Mali's main airport located approximately south of downtown

Bamako Bamako is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2022 population of 4,227,569. 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. Bamak ...

, the capital of

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

in West Africa. It is the country's only international airport. It is managed by Aéroports du Mali (ADM). Its operations are overseen by the Malian Ministry of Equipment and Transport.

History

Bamako-Sénou Airport was opened to traffic in 1974. The airport was upgraded between 2007 and 2012 in a US$181 million project funded by the

Millennium Challenge Corporation The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a bilateral United States foreign aid agency established by the U.S. Congress in 2004. It is an independent agency separate from the State Department and USAID. It provides grants to countries tha ...

, a United States foreign aid agency. On 17 September 2024, the airport was stormed by Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin militants as part of a series of coordinated attacks across multiple locations in

. The JNIM claimed to have destroyed aircraft and opened fire at the presidential hangar. An aircraft used for humanitarian work by the

World Food Programme The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961 ...

was also damaged.

Military base

Bamako–Sénou International Airport is adjacent to Air Base 101, which is used by the Malian Air Force.

Statistics

Passenger traffic steadily increased in the early 2000s. Government figures show 403,380 passengers in 1999, 423,506 in 2003, 486,526 in 2004, and 516,000 in 2005. In 2006 it was predicted to reach over 900,000 by 2015 under a low (4%) yearly growth rate scenario. Total air traffic at BKO increased by 12.4% in 2007 and 14% in 2008. Most of this increase came in passenger transport, with the number of passengers served increasing by 20% in 2007 and 17% in 2008. Twenty-seven airline carriers operated weekly or better at BKO in the 2007–2008 period. This continued growth was offset by cargo flights' decline of 16.75% in 2007, and 3.93% in 2008.Air traffic at Bamako airport increases by 14% in 2008
. PANA press. 14 January 2009

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Cargo

Accidents and incidents

*On 24 July 1971, a

Douglas C-47 The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for troo ...

A (6V-AAP) of Air Ivoire crashed into a hill 67 seconds after take-off from runway 24 at night. The aircraft was operating a scheduled passenger flight. All six occupants were killed. *On 31 May 1981, a Dassault Falcon 20C (7T-VRE) of the Algerian government crashed 8 km (5 miles) from here on approach, killing 3 of the 6 occupants. The plane was on an official state flight, carrying foreign minister Mohamed Seddick Benyahia. Benyahia survived, but was killed the following year in a shootdown. *On 30 June 1996, a Boeing 707-369C (5X-JON) of

Air Afrique Air Afrique was a Pan-African airline, that was mainly owned by many West African countries for most of its history. It was established as the official transnational carrier for francophone West and Central Africa, because many of these cou ...

leased from DAS Air Cargo became unstable shortly after landing due to a sudden burst of rain and veered off the runway, striking a bunker and detaching the right wing. All 4 occupants survived; the plane was written off. *In October 2007 (day unknown), an

Ilyushin Il-76TD The Ilyushin Il-76 (; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau as a commercial freighter in 1967, to replace the Antonov An-12. ...

(5A-DNQ) of Jamahiriya Air Transport sustained serious damage on landing when the nose gear collapsed. The plane was later repaired. *On 14 June 2017, a Beechcraft 200 Super King Air (TZ-DDG) of Malian Aero Company suffered a landing accident after returning from a cloud-seeding operation over

Mopti Mopti (Fulfulde: Mobti) is a town and an urban commune in the Inner Niger Delta region of Mali. The town is the capital of the Mopti Cercle and the Mopti Region. Situated 630 km northeast of Bamako, the town lies at the confluence of the ...

at 14:05. The plane came to rest on the right side of the runway with substantial propeller damage and was subsequently written off. The sole occupant survived.

References

External links

* * A–Z World Airports
Bamako – Senou Int'l Airport (BKO/GABS)

for BKO/GABS fro
ASECNA
* *
Avient Aviation Scheduled Flights
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bamako-Senou International Airport Airports established in 1974 Airports in Mali Buildings and structures in Bamako 1974 establishments in Mali