Sunday 16 Aug 2025 {HMC} The Federal Government of Somalia has announced that the national carrier Somali Airlines will make its first flight in September this year, which will be a major step towards the restoration of the national airline.
The government has yet to provide further details about the first flight. There is also a lack of confidence as the government’s claims have repeatedly failed.
The Somali people have long waited to see a Somali-flagged airline flying between countries around the world. The return of Somali Airlines could also be a significant development in the aviation and international connectivity of Somalia.
Somalia’s international aviation market is also expected to expand. Airlines from Saudi Arabia, Oman and Rwanda are planning to join the international airlines operating in Somalia.
Oman’s SalamAir has announced that it will launch direct flights between Muscat and Mogadishu on September 3, 2026, twice a week.
Qatar Airways is already one of the international airlines operating in Somalia, alongside Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir, Air Djibouti and others. Turkish Airlines has played a particularly prominent role in connecting Somalia to the world, having resumed flights to Mogadishu 16 years ago, when the country was still in a very difficult security situation and ongoing fighting.
If the plan to reinstate Somali Airlines goes ahead, Somalia will once again have a national airline, bringing a Somali flag carrier back to the international skies after many years of absence.
