Somalia targets September 2026 to restart Somali Airlines after 35 years, with aviation authorities saying preparations for the national carrier’s return are nearing completion
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia is preparing to return its national flag carrier to the skies more than 35 years after civil war brought the airline’s operations to a halt, with the country’s Civil Aviation Authority saying preparations for a September 2026 relaunch are in their final stages.
Ahmed Ma’allin, director of the Civil Aviation Authority, said the airline could operate its first flight around the middle of September.
“Somali Airlines is on its final stages, the first flight will be around mid September,” Ma’allin said.
The proposed restart would revive a carrier that once connected Somalia to destinations across Africa, the Middle East and beyond. Somali Airlines was established in 1964, but its operations collapsed in 1991 after the fall of the central government and the outbreak of civil war.
The latest timetable is the most recent in a series of government efforts to bring the airline back into commercial service. Previous targets have come and gone without scheduled flights materializing, making the September deadline a test not only of the government’s aviation ambitions but also of its ability to complete the regulatory and operational work required to sustain a national carrier.
From aircraft acquisition to commercial launch
The revival effort gained momentum in July 2025, when the government announced an agreement involving two Airbus A320 aircraft as the initial fleet for the reconstituted airline.
Officials subsequently indicated that flights would begin within months. By October 2025, the government was again forecasting a return before the end of that year. That deadline passed without the carrier entering scheduled service.
The new September 2026 target therefore represents another attempt to convert a long-running political pledge into an operating airline.
The acquisition of aircraft, however, is only one component of the process.
A commercial carrier must demonstrate compliance with aviation safety requirements, secure the necessary approvals, establish maintenance and insurance arrangements, develop flight-planning systems and ensure that pilots, engineers, cabin crew and other personnel are properly qualified.
Airport handling, ground operations and passenger-ticketing systems must also be capable of supporting regular scheduled services.
The two A320s secured under the 2025 agreement were presented as the beginning of a broader fleet strategy, with additional aircraft expected as the airline establishes routes and expands its operations.
A symbol of Somalia’s reconstruction
The return of Somali Airlines would carry significance well beyond the aviation industry.
For more than three decades, Somalia has relied on foreign and privately operated carriers to connect Mogadishu with regional and international destinations. The reappearance of a national flag carrier would offer a highly visible demonstration of the government’s effort to rebuild state institutions and restore services disrupted by decades of conflict.
Somalia’s aviation sector has itself undergone a gradual reconstruction, with authorities working to restore regulatory and operational capabilities that were severely weakened during the years of state collapse.
A functioning national airline could strengthen those efforts by creating demand for trained aviation professionals and supporting associated industries, including aircraft maintenance, ground handling, catering and airport services.
It could also provide another transportation link for Somalia’s large diaspora, whose communities are spread across East Africa, the Gulf, Europe and North America.
Competition will be intense
Somali Airlines would not be returning to an empty market.
Mogadishu’s airport is already served by established international carriers, including Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines. Somali and regional private airlines have also maintained connections despite the country’s prolonged instability.
That means the revived flag carrier will have to compete on reliability, fares, scheduling and route coverage rather than simply benefiting from its national identity.
A cautious expansion strategy could be particularly important during the airline’s early years. Starting with a limited number of viable routes would allow the carrier to establish operational reliability and build passenger confidence before committing to a larger fleet or broader network.
The airline’s ability to operate commercially without excessive political interference or unsustainable financial obligations will also be closely watched.
The September test
The government’s latest announcement puts the emphasis on execution.
After several previous relaunch deadlines, the significance of September 2026 will not be measured by another announcement but by whether Somali Airlines actually begins carrying passengers on scheduled commercial flights.
For a country that lost its national carrier during the collapse of the state, the sight of a Somali Airlines aircraft returning to regular service would be an unusually potent symbol of institutional recovery.
But the longer-term measure of success will be less dramatic and more demanding: whether the airline can maintain international safety standards, control costs, attract passengers and build a sustainable network in an increasingly competitive regional aviation market.
For now, Somalia’s aviation authorities are betting that the country’s flag carrier can finally make the transition from a symbol of the past to an operating institution of the future.
