Somali Airlines is expected to return to commercial service in September 2026, more than 35 years after Somalia’s national carrier disappeared from the skies following the collapse of the central government and outbreak of civil war in 1991.
The planned revival would restore a flag carrier that once connected Mogadishu with destinations across Africa, the Middle East and Europe, and represents one of the most visible attempts by Somalia to rebuild institutions lost during decades of conflict. Somali Airlines was founded in 1964 and ceased operations in January 1991.
Somalia formally announced plans to revive the airline in July 2025 after the government approved the acquisition of two Airbus A320 aircraft. Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Farah Nuh said at the time that the aircraft were expected to enter service within two months. That timetable slipped. In October 2025, the government revised its target and said Somali Airlines would return before the end of that year.
By December, officials said the airline’s management board and regulatory framework had been established and that aircraft and foreign technical partnerships had been secured, but scheduled services still did not begin.
The current expectation of a September 2026 relaunch therefore comes after several delays and should be viewed as the latest operational target rather than a confirmed inaugural date. The airline is expected to use Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport as its main hub, with regional routes likely to take priority during the early phase.
Historically important markets include Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Djibouti and Jeddah, which connect Somalia to major business, transit and diaspora flows. A national airline would enter a market already served by foreign and privately owned carriers. Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and several regional operators connect Mogadishu internationally, while domestic aviation has continued through Somali private carriers despite the absence of a state flag carrier. Somalia’s aviation sector has also changed substantially since 1991.
The country regained full control of its airspace management in 2017 after more than two decades of oversight from outside Somalia, while the Somali Civil Aviation Authority has continued rebuilding regulatory, navigation and airport systems. Its current aeronautical publications show an expanding formal aviation framework overseen from Mogadishu.
The government sees Somali Airlines as both a commercial project and part of that institutional rebuilding. A functioning flag carrier could improve domestic connectivity across a country where road travel remains difficult, while providing direct links for Somalia’s large diaspora and supporting trade, tourism and business travel. Commercial viability will be the harder question.
Relaunching an airline requires reliable aircraft, trained crews, maintenance arrangements, certification, insurance and enough passenger traffic to sustain routes without becoming a permanent burden on public finances. After 35 years, the significance of seeing Somali Airlines colours back on an operational aircraft would be considerable. The more important achievement, however, will be keeping those aircraft flying on a dependable schedule long after the symbolism of the first flight has passed.