3 commercial aircraft damaged in coordinated attack at Niamey International Airport
February 1, 2026
Three aircraft were reportedly damaged at Niamey International in Niger after a coordinated attack aimed at the airport and airbase on Thursday night shortly after midnight.
Islamic State in the Sahel region has claimed responsibility for the attack, a branch that operates in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Gunfire and explosions were reported at the airport, ultimately hitting the three aircraft on the ground.
An Air Côte d’Ivoire A319 aircraft was hit by gunfire on the night of 28-29 January 2026 at Niamey Diori Hamani International Airport, (NIM), Niger.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) January 29, 2026
As per Air Côte d'Ivoire, heavy weapons fire heard during the night of January 28 to 29, 2026, near Niamey International Airport… pic.twitter.com/cRkThZ5Odi
The extent of the damage is not clear. Aerospace Global News reached out to ASKY Airlines for a comment, but they were not immediately available.
Which three aircraft were impacted by the strikes?
According to information from tracking platform Flightradar24, the three planes impacted are listed below. Note that ET-BBB, a Boeing 737 MAX leased from ASKY partner Ethiopian Airlines, is just three years old.
| Aircraft | Registration | Airline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319-100 | TU-TRE | Air Côte d’Ivoire | |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | ET-BBB | ASKY Airlines | Leased from Ethiopian Airlines. |
| Boeing 737-800 | ET-BAH | ASKY Airlines | Leased from Ethiopian Airlines. |
Both ASKY aircraft flew in from Ouagadougou. The carrier typically operates on a Lome-Ouagadougou-Niamey-Ouagadougou-Lome routing. Air Côte d’Ivoire similarly operates from its Abidjan base, onwards to Ouagadougou and finally to Niamey.
The attacks have caused disruption over recent days, with a large part of the airport’s operations being cancelled. Though Turkish Airlines maintained its Friday service from Istanbul, most flights this weekend have not gone ahead.
On Saturday, both ASKY Airlines and Air Côte d’Ivoire have cancelled their flights, while Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 787 from Addis Ababa departed nearly two hours late.
Tunisair cancelled its Sunday service, and so did ASKY Airlines. Only Royal Air Maroc and Ethiopian Airlines are planning to fly out of Niamey today.
Video footage has been released and the attack which took place shortly after midnight on Thursday, on Niamey Diori Hamani International Airport in Niger shows atleast a Mi-171 helicopter and a Diamond DA42 surveillance aircraft were set on fire inside their hangars.#aircraft pic.twitter.com/uG1HNkSJct
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) February 1, 2026
In addition to commercial jets, video footage from the airport suggests that at least one helicopter and a surveillance aircraft were set on fire inside hangars.
Why did Islamic State attack Niamey Airport?
It is not immediately clear why the attack targeted Niamey Airport, though there are several theories.
Firstly, Niger is an important Uranium producer and a fairly large shipment destined for export is currently blocked at the airport over a legal dispute with France. This follows the new government’s nationalisation of uranium mines in the country.
Satellite footage of Diori Hamani International Airport in the Nigerien capital of Niamey, captured by @vantortech, shows damage to multiple buildings on the military side of these airport, following last night’s mysterious attack possibly targeting a controversial shipment of… pic.twitter.com/xBFInYvvx7
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 29, 2026
The airport is also home to a Nigerian army airbase as well as a recently constructed drone base. The headquarters of a joint task force between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali to tackle jihadist groups in the region is also nearby, according to the BBC.
Niger accuses France of backing the attack
Niger’s democratically elected President of Niger, Mohamad Bazoum, was overthrown in a coup d’état in 2023. Abdourahmane Tchiani, the head of the military junta in power, has made sweeping changes to the country’s foreign affairs policy.
Niger has accused former colonial ruler France of backing the airport attack, further straining relations between the two. Back in 2023, the government took action against French operations in the country, expelling its ambassador and military personnel. It has also banned French aircraft – including Air France planes – from operating to, from or over the country’s airspace.
Air France’s presence in the region has reduced considerably since 2023. It has had to suspend flights to Niger and pull out of flights to Bamako and Ouagadougou. Most recently, it has also decided to exit the Central African Republic completely, suspending its link to Bangui, as outlined in our weekly schedule update.
Featured image: ASKY Airlines
