Mogadishu (AX) — In a dramatic showdown that has taken the nation by storm, a gaggle of irate airlines has hit the brakes on both local and international flights on a day that will linger in the annals of aviation history — Wednesday, January 22, 2025. The core reason? An itchy battle over swelling fees slapped on carriers by Somalia’s federal administrators, an action akin to a sudden ‘turkey dump’ right before dessert. What’s the buzz all about? Let’s go for a nosedive into this unfolding aerial saga.
The usually stoic Somali Airlines Operators Association, an ensemble representing nearly 20 airlines, has strapped itself into the front seat of protest. Their all-hands-on-deck gathering echoed with disgruntlement as their statement blared: “Effective Wednesday, January 22, 2025, Somali Airlines has hit the pause button on all domestic and international flights while we hunt for a durable fix.”
Meanwhile, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) stood its ground, politely swatting away murmurs of any flight chaos while wagging a finger at what it termed as “reckless rumors.” In their mind, the aircraft were benched not by choice or financial tug-of-war, but out of necessity — safety checks had flagged maintenance bugs lurking like gremlins, putting passenger wellbeing at an unnecessary risk. The SCAA’s blunt reminder left no room for doublespeak: “Planes found lacking in safety inspections won’t soar again until every last bolt is secured, as dictated by the law.”
The atmosphere thickened as the SCAA spotlighted what it perceived as airlines’ lackadaisical attitude towards passenger service and on-point operations. Their claims? Some flights were leveraging the ‘network borrowing’ trick — sneaking passengers onto other carriers’ wings due to delays or plane unavailability, throwing a wrench into the flight schedules of several regions.
In a turn of bureaucratic chess, the management at Aden Adde International Airport told Favori, the official keepers of airport operations, to slam the counter access gates on carriers whose jets’ shadows were missing from scheduled takeoffs and landings at the heart of Mogadishu. The reasoning? “These airlines book tarmac time without planes to strut their stuff in the capital, rendering regional connections dicey at best,” the authority noted, barely concealing its frustration.
But beneath the surface of this high-altitude saga lies the unaddressed beast — the central question of those surging fees, which remains the unspoken ogre in the room. Unlike the more overt technical issues, the pecuniary precipice has stirred ripples of contention, highlighting deep-seated problems in Somalia’s aviation tapestry. The chatter around the boardrooms points to a persistent struggle with adhering to regulations, steadfast operational correctness, and the age-old headache of shaking hands on financial terms.
Whether this spiraling interplay settles into a chapter of collaborative resolution or an epic tale of drawn-out discord, remains to be penciled into Somalia’s aviation ledger. Oh, but wait — in this topsy-turvy world, marked by white-knuckled negotiations and surprise landings, who can truly predict the next twist in the jet stream? This is surely a roller coaster worth a front-row seat.
Mingled with a pinch of quirkiness and genuine concern, this moment teeters on the tightrope between professional aerospace management and a saga of remarkable human dramatics — one can only hope the parachute of common sense gets deployed before turbulence really kicks in. But the million-dollar question lingers: will the docking fees tethered tightly against the airlines’ proverbial hulls be their undoing, or can a meeting of minds bring smoother skies ahead?
For now, travelers crossing their fingers and checking flight schedules grit their teeth with bated breath as Somalia’s skies wait on the wings of a possible breakthrough. What a time for jets, wheels down, and eyes open!
Report By Axadle.
