When Mali's Bamako Senou airport is closed for repair work on Tuesday, the Kayes and Sikasso airports will be put to use in case of emergency evacuations in the West African country, according to airport officials.

In June, the construction work will be done on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Faly Cisse, an agent of the civil aviation authority, said the choice of these days was justified by the fact that there is very low air traffic during that period.

In case of an emergency, Cisse said, Sikasso and Kayes will serve as the closest airports respectively 400 km and 600 km from the capital Bamako.

The repair work is part of the modernization and extension program of Bamako-Senou airport. The work was suspended following the March 22 coup d'etat, which led to the resignation of former president Amadou Toumani Toure.

A cabinet statement released on May 30 indicated that the repair work would see the extension of the runway and security improvement at the airport.