Aviation History
Niger's civil aviation began under French colonial administration, with Air France operating domestic routes before independence. The state carrier Air Niger, backed by the government, Air France and UTA, ran from 1966 until its 1993 collapse. Niger Airlines was created in 2012 and launched flights in 2014 as the country's new flag carrier, though it has faced repeated safety-related groundings since.
The Niger government established Air Niger with support from Air France and Union des Transports Aériens (UTA), taking over domestic and regional services previously flown by Air France.
The government-majority-owned carrier (94.5% state-owned) shut down after years of financial difficulty, leaving Niger without a national airline for nearly two decades.
Niger Airlines was founded on 31 July 2012 to succeed the defunct Air Niger as the country's flag carrier.
Commercial operations started on 4 May 2014, initially focused on domestic routes serving mining settlements and pilgrimage (Hajj) charter flights.
Niger's civil aviation authority temporarily grounded Niger Airlines in November 2022 citing safety compliance issues.
Niger Airlines returned to service in December 2023, initially with a leased ATR 72, rebuilding domestic connectivity to cities including Agadez, Diffa, Maradi and Zinder.
Air Niger (defunct 1993) · Niger Airlines
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