Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — Somalia’s government says national flag carrier Somali Airlines will return to the skies before the end of 2025, in what officials frame as the centrepiece of a wider push to rebuild the country’s aviation system and tighten control over its airspace.
Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Farah Noor told reporters in Mogadishu on Sunday that the airline’s board and regulatory framework are now in place. He said the state has secured aircraft and agreements with foreign partners to support the relaunch.
“We have established the Board of Management for Somali Airlines and put in place the regulatory framework needed to guide its operations,” Farah said, adding that new “modern aircraft” have been purchased and that the revived carrier will “very soon” fly the Somali flag on routes at home and abroad.
Officials have previously said the government signed a purchase agreement for two Airbus A320 jets earlier this year as part of the restart plan, after formally reviving Somali Airlines in July following a 34-year hiatus.
Farah now says the focus is on final operational approvals and route planning, with services expected to begin before the end of 2025.
The minister also said four additional foreign airlines are preparing to launch flights to Somalia, joining eight international carriers already serving Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport, including Turkish Airlines.
Aviation reboot
Farah framed the airline’s return as part of a broader overhaul of Somalia’s aviation governance and infrastructure, after three decades in which war and state collapse disrupted normal operations in the country’s skies.
One of the biggest recent steps, he said, was the restoration of Somalia’s access to the International Air Transport Association’s Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) after 33 years.
The BSP is a standard clearing-house system used worldwide to settle payments between accredited travel agents and airlines. Its absence has long complicated ticketing and revenue collection on Somali routes.
According to Farah, IATA is now preparing to reinstate Somalia’s BSP country code. That would allow transactions for Somali-issued tickets to be processed and audited through the global system rather than ad hoc arrangements.
Officials say that change is essential if Somali Airlines is to plug into normal interline and agency networks instead of relying on bespoke deals.
The BSP restoration follows a landmark decision in January 2023 to reclassify the Mogadishu Flight Information Region as Class A airspace, restoring full air traffic control services over Somalia and the surrounding corridor after a 30-year disruption.
IATA said at the time that the upgrade, backed by new navigation and communications infrastructure, would “significantly improve safety” along one of the region’s busiest overflight routes.
For years after the state collapsed in 1991, the UN and the International Civil Aviation Organization managed Somali airspace from Nairobi, and many international carriers avoided the corridor entirely.
Its return to full Class A control has helped normalise routings and created space for Somalia’s attempt to rebuild a national carrier.
Aden Adde upgrades
Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport has also undergone steady upgrades in recent years. Officials say it now meets the International Civil Aviation Organization’s highest standards for safety, security and operations.
In 2024, Somalia opened its first aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in more than three decades at the airport. The facility is a key step in localising technical support for both domestic and foreign operators.
Farah said work is continuing to modernise Aden Adde’s terminal and security systems as traffic increases.
In parallel, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud laid the foundation stone in late June for a new Mogadishu International Airport in the Middle Shabelle region. Officials describe the project as a future hub that will reduce pressure on Aden Adde and position the capital as a regional gateway.
The new airport, planned near Warsheekh northeast of Mogadishu, will have multiple long runways and modern terminals. Project documents say it will handle millions of passengers a year once completed.
Digital border controls
The airline relaunch is unfolding alongside a rapid digitalisation of Somalia’s border and passenger screening systems.
Farah highlighted the rollout of e-visa services, a nationwide electronic travel authorisation (ETA) platform, mandatory Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API/PNR) feeds, and real-time data-sharing links with Interpol and US authorities.
The ETA system is due to become fully operational in late November 2025. It will be integrated directly into airline departure control systems, preventing travellers from boarding flights to Somalia without prior clearance from Mogadishu.
Somali officials present the new regime as a move to align with global aviation security practice and tighten controls on terror financing, irregular migration and document fraud.
But the digital push has also drawn scrutiny. In November, the US embassy and others warned of a major data breach affecting the e-visa platform and urged travellers to weigh privacy risks when submitting personal details online.
Symbol of recovery
Somali Airlines was founded in 1964 and once flew domestic and international routes, including to Europe and the Gulf, before suspending operations in 1991 as civil war tore apart the state.
In the decades since, its white-and-blue “white star” livery has retained strong symbolic weight for many Somalis at home and in the diaspora.
In its absence, a patchwork of private carriers such as Jubba Airways and Daallo Airlines stepped in to connect Mogadishu, regional cities and foreign hubs, often operating under difficult security and regulatory conditions.
The government says a revived national airline, backed by international safety norms and modern equipment, will help bring more predictable pricing, new routes and a clearer regulatory anchor for the wider market.
Officials also argue that a functioning flag carrier can support Somalia’s drive to reclaim full control over its skies and its international image, after years in which foreign missions and humanitarian agencies dominated much of the passenger traffic into the country.
Remaining risks
The aviation push still faces significant headwinds. Somalia remains locked in a grinding insurgency with Al-Shabaab, which has repeatedly targeted airports and convoys on routes to Aden Adde.
In March 2025, militants tried and failed to assassinate President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud with a roadside bomb as his convoy headed toward the airport, killing several bystanders.
At the same time, a separate dispute has erupted over airspace and visa authority in the north, where Somaliland and Puntland reject Mogadishu’s attempts to centralise travel controls and have threatened airlines that comply with federal directives.
Aviation safety groups have warned operators to be alert to conflicting instructions in parts of the Mogadishu flight information region while the stand-off continues.
Farah says the government will keep working on the national carrier, airport upgrades and new oversight tools as it seeks to meet the 2025 launch target for Somali Airlines.
