Aviation

Airspace closures across the Middle East have triggered sweeping flight cancellations and global knock-on delays, as pressure mounts on the region’s key aviation hubs in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. Dublin Airport said all services between Ireland and the Middle East scheduled for today are canceled, with 5,000 to 6,000 passengers affected so far, underscoring how the disruption is rippling through long-haul travel networks. Gulf gateways are central to east–west traffic linking Europe with Asia and Australia. Twenty-three…

Sunday, March 1, 2026 LONDON — At 18, Suleiman Dida has already cleared one of aviation’s most daunting thresholds: a first solo flight. In doing so, he has also earned recognition as the United Kingdom’s youngest Somali pilot — a landmark that speaks to both personal drive and a community stepping into professions where it has long been underrepresented. Born Dec. 2, 2007, in northwest London to parents from Mogadishu, Dida grew up in a household that straddled two worlds: the cadence of London life and the ambitions of a…

Flight path: At 18, Suleiman Dida charts a course as the U.K.’s youngest Somali pilot Sunday, March 1, 2026 London (AX) — At just 18, Suleiman Dida has reached a milestone that many aspiring aviators spend years pursuing: a solo flight and recognition as the United Kingdom’s youngest Somali pilot. For a community still underrepresented in cockpits, his ascent is a marker of possibility — and of how early discipline and accessible training routes can change who gets to fly. Dida was born Dec. 2, 2007, in northwest London to…

Mogadishu (AX) — Reports buzzing on social media about a supposed crash involving government aircraft were dismissed by the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), dismissing them as sheer fabrications. The SCAA firmly stated that none of the newly acquired planes have faced such mishaps, rubbishing claims of them hitting the ground in off-limit locales.Releasing a detailed statement on Tuesday, the SCAA labeled these stories as part of a concerted effort to spread falsehoods by what they termed "Somalia's antagonists." As…

Tragedy struck at the heart of Turkey as five individuals lost their lives, and 22 more suffered injuries during a shocking assault on the Turkish Aerospace Industries’ headquarters, reports the government. Eyewitnesses recounted hearing rapid gunfire followed by a deafening explosion in the vicinity of Ankara. At a BRICS conference in Kazan, Russia, Turkish President Recep Erdoğan, standing alongside his counterpart Vladimir Putin, denounced the event as a "vile act of terrorism." Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya…

Travelers marooned at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport's domestic departures area, Sept. 10, 2024. (Photo by Fred Mutune/Xinhua) Kenyan aviation employees wrapped up their one-day strike on Wednesday, reaching a return-to-work pact with relevant authorities. The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Kenya Airways, and government representatives inked the deal, allowing flight operations to restart across the nation. This strike shut down operations at the country's four primary…

The South African government will inject $ 10 billion, or nearly $ 640 million, into state-owned South African Airways (SAA) to save it from disaster. On the other hand, this rescue plan will leave four-fifths of the staff on the floor and the fleet drastically reduced. President Cyril Ramaphosa made it an imperative, a matter…