Mogadishu (AX) — Somali Airlines is set to return to the skies in September 2026, reviving the country’s national carrier more than three decades after the collapse of Somalia’s central government brought its operations to an end in 1991.
Ahmed Moalin, director of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority, said Saturday that preparations for the relaunch had been completed and that flights were expected to start next month.
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The comeback would restore a national airline that has been absent for more than 35 years. Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport is currently served by foreign carriers, including Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines.
Somalia’s government has announced plans to revive the airline before, but previous deadlines for resuming operations passed without a relaunch.
In July 2025, officials announced the purchase of two Airbus A320 aircraft as part of the effort to re-establish the carrier. The agreement was signed at Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre’s office and announced by Mohamed Farah Nuuh, who was then transport and civil aviation minister. Nuuh said the planes would operate under the Somali Airlines name within two months.
By October 2025, the transport ministry was saying the airline would return before the end of that year, describing preparations as being in their final stages.
Founded in 1964, Somali Airlines served as the country’s flag carrier, operating routes within Somalia and abroad. Its services were disrupted by the civil war before the airline ultimately ceased operations in 1991.
The proposed relaunch comes as Somalia works to improve its transport infrastructure and build stronger connections with regional and international markets.
