Sabena airline suspends flights to Burundi

The Belgian airline, Sabena, has suspended its flights to Bujumbura, an official from the airline’s office in Nairobi confirmed to IRIN on Thursday. The airline took the decision after its airbus was shot at on Monday night from Rukoko natural reserve, near Bujumbura International Airport, as it was preparing to land. A crew member and a passenger were slightly injured in the incident. “In view of the situation, we will not be operating our weekly flights to Bujumbura,” the official said. According to the airline, the move will also allow for the investigations “which will help us decide our course of action”.

“We will assess the report and see what to do,” the official said. Sabena airline has been flying to Burundi since 1938. It suspended its flights to Bujumbura in 1996 due to the embargo which had been imposed by Burundi’s neighbours three years ago and only resumed the flights to the country at the end of October this year. The Burundi government has blamed Monday’s attack on the rebels of the Forces nationales de liberation (FNL). Also on Thursday, the Dutch freight airline, Martinair, announced that it was suspending flights to Bujumbura, according to the Net Press news agency.