The Somalia government has announced the revival of Somali Airlines after a 34-year hiatus. Transport Minister Mohamed Farah said the government had acquired two new Airbus A320 aircraft for the airline to begin operations by October 2025.
The airbus aeroplanes will be used for both domestic and international passenger flights.
The Somali Airlines was first established in 1964 and was co-owned and operated by the government and Alitalia. It got grounded in 1991 following the civil war that ousted dictator Siad Barre. The airline used to cover destinations n Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
With this reentry, Somali Airlines will open up the skies even more but faces challenges similar to those of many airlines across the world – making losses and staying afloat. Most airlines rely on government subsidies and bailouts to survive.
For instance, the Tanzanian government has invested heavily in the revitalization process of Air Tanzania with more than TSH 3.6 trillion invested so far in the last eight years.
Kenya Airways, one of the biggest airlines in Africa announced profit for the first time in 2024 since 2013, making a record 21.7 billion in losses in 2023.
Opening Up Mogadishu and Somalia through Air Somalia
Untill 2018, Somalia’s airspace management was overseen by the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Nairobi.
The Mogadishu officially took control in 2018 and received a boost in January 2023 when Mogadishu International Airport was upgraded to Category A status, the highest level of international aviation safety standards.
