Somali Airlines Expected to Resume Flights in September

Mogadishu, (SONNA) — The Federal Government of Somalia is preparing to relaunch Somali Airlines, with the national carrier expected to conduct its first flight in September 2026, according to the Director General of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), Ahmed Moallin Hassan.

The Federal Government officially revived the national airline in July 2025 after signing an agreement to acquire two Airbus A320 aircraft for the carrier. Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Farah said the aircraft belong to the Somali people, with plans for flights to initially connect regions within the country before expanding to international destinations.

The government said the revival of Somali Airlines is intended to improve connectivity with Somalis living abroad and create employment opportunities for young aviation professionals.

The first two A320 aircraft are expected to form the foundation of the renewed fleet, with plans to add two or three more aircraft in 2026 and eventually introduce larger aircraft capable of operating long-haul international services.

Somalia is also investing in airport infrastructure. Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu is being upgraded, while the government plans to rehabilitate 15 of the country’s 72 airports to bring them in line with international standards.

Somali pilots and aviation professionals trained abroad are also being recruited to help rebuild the airline’s technical capacity, with the Somali diaspora expected to play an important role.

After more than 35 years without a state-owned national airline, the planned return of Somali Airlines is being presented as part of broader efforts to rebuild the country’s aviation sector and promote economic and national development.

Ahmed Moallin Hassan, Director General of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority, said Somali Airlines has reached the final stage of preparations and is expected to conduct its first flight in September.

“Somali Airlines is in the final stage,” Hassan said during a government meeting. “I think the first flight will begin in September. This year, Insha’Allah, we will begin.”

Hassan made the remarks during a government meeting assessing preparations for Somalia’s 2022–2026 performance report.

Somali Airlines, formerly known as the “White Star,” suspended operations in 1991 following the collapse of the government of President Siad Barre and the outbreak of prolonged conflict in Somalia.

Somalia said last year that the revived airline would have a fleet of five aircraft, while Minister of Transport Mohamed Farah announced in July 2025 that the country had acquired Airbus A320 aircraft for the carrier.

The government is now preparing to restore the national airline as part of broader efforts to develop Somalia’s aviation sector. In 2018, Somalia regained full control of its airspace after air traffic management had been administered from outside the country for decades.

Since then, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority has said it has invested significantly in airspace infrastructure. According to Hassan, current air navigation services generate nearly $20 million annually, with further modernization expected to increase annual revenue to approximately $52 million.

Hassan also said Oman’s SalamAir has completed preparations to begin flights in September, while Rwanda’s RwandAir is expected to launch services in November. Saudi Arabia’s Flynas is also preparing to operate flights to Somalia.

Germany’s Focus newspaper also reported on the planned return of Somali Airlines under the headline “Somali Airlines to Resume Operations in Mid-September.”

According to the report, Somali Airlines operated flights to Germany twice a week before 1991. The airline reportedly departed Frankfurt every Monday and Friday at 17:20, stopping in Rome for transit and to pick up additional passengers before continuing to Mogadishu.

The report also referenced a Somali Airlines Boeing 707 photographed in Frankfurt in 1987.

The planned return of Somali Airlines in September would mark the revival of a national carrier that suspended operations more than three decades ago and represents another step in Somalia’s efforts to rebuild its aviation sector.