Monday July 28, 2025
A Somali Airlines Boeing 707-338C at Frankfurt Airport (FRA / EDDF)
The deal, signed this week at the office of Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, was confirmed by Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Farah Nuuh, who said the aircraft would become operational within two months, flying once more under the Somali Airlines name.
“This (purchase) marks the beginning of our national aviation revival,” Nuuh told reporters. “These aircraft are the foundation of Somali Airlines’ return, and the government is committed to reestablishing a carrier that meets international service and safety standards.”
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The announcement speaks not only to the practical needs of connectivity in a country rebuilding from decades of conflict, but also to something deeper: a desire to reclaim a fragment of national identity lost in the collapse of the Somali state in 1991.Founded in 1964, Somali Airlines once connected Mogadishu to cities across East Africa, the Middle East and Europe. It suspended operations as a result of the civil war that saw national institutions disintegrate. Since then, a mix of international and regional carriers, including Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, flydubai, and Qatar Airways, operate regular flights to Mogadishu and other key cities. Regional airlines such as Daallo Airlines, Freedom Airline Express, Jubba Airways, and African Express Airways have maintained critical domestic and cross-border services. However, no national flag carrier has taken to the skies.
Nuuh said the government plans to acquire an additional two to three aircraft by 2026 as part of a phased fleet expansion. He added that Somali pilots and aviation personnel trained abroad would be recruited to operate the aircraft, with support from the Somali diaspora expected to play a key role in rebuilding technical capacity.
The revival effort follows years of groundwork by the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), which began reasserting federal control over Somalia’s airspace in 2018 after years of external oversight by ICAO offices in Nairobi. In February 2023, Somalia achieved full restoration of its sovereign airspace under Category 1 classification, a milestone that enabled national carriers to resume formal operations under international aviation law.
The airline’s return comes alongside a $643 million infrastructure project to construct a new international airport in Warsheekh, northeast of the capital. Unveiled in December 2024, the project is designed to handle up to millions of passengers annually and includes cargo terminals, customs zones, and maintenance facilities. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has described it as a critical gateway for economic transformation and regional trade.
The airport and airline revivals are anchored with Somalia’s Ninth National Development Plan, which identifies infrastructure development and air transport connectivity as pillars of economic recovery and integration. Officials hope Somali Airlines will provide a lower-cost alternative to foreign carriers currently operating in the country’s skies and boost regional mobility.
“This is about restoring an institution that connects Somalia to the world.”, Nuuh said.