Niger's coup leaders have closed the country's airspace until further notice, citing the threat of military intervention from their neighbours.

It comes after the Ecowas group of West African states demanded President Mohamed Bazoum be reinstated by Sunday.

Ecowas had warned that the junta could face military action and will now meet on Thursday to discuss next steps.

Meanwhile Mali and Burkina Faso, both also ruled by juntas, said they would send officials to Niger in solidarity.

West Africa is on the brink of armed conflict as a regional security bloc must decide whether to intervene against the junta leaders in Niger, at least one of whom previously trained under Department of Defense (DOD) programs.

Airlines were forced to divert some flights after Niger restricted its airspace on Sunday night, making it more difficult for planes to fly across parts of Africa.

British Airways was one of the carriers affected by Niger’s partial closure of airspace, with at least five flights to and from its London hubs diverting — including services from Nairobi, Cape Town and flights to and from Johannesburg. Air France, KLM and Deutsche Lufthansa AG also saw services diverted or delayed.