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Somali Airlines is the flag carrier of Somalia. Established in 1964, it historically offered flights to both domestic and international destinations. The airline discontinued operations in 1991 after the start of the Somali civil war. The airline was officially relaunched by the Somali government on 28 July 2025, with an initial purchase agreement for two Airbus A320 aircraft.
At , the airline's president was Abdi Mohamed Namus, who employed 120 workers. At this time, the fleet consisted of two Cessna 185s, three DC-3s and four Vickers Viscount. One of these Viscounts (6O-AAJ) experienced an accident while landing at Mogadishu on 6 May 1970. The aircraft was on final approach when the crew realised that the flight controls were not responding. Control of the aircraft was partly gained by the use of power, but the airframe landed hard, causing the nose gear to collapse. Five people were killed in the accident, out of 30 occupants on board. In early 1974, a contract with Tempair for the provision of a Boeing 720B, to be deployed on the Mogadishu–London route, as well as on flights within Africa and to the Middle East, was signed; the agreement effectively came into being in . In late 1975, two Fokker F27s were acquired. In 1976, the company purchased two Boeing 720Bs from American Airlines, the two last ones in service with the United States carrier. It also ordered a further two Boeing 707s. Somali Airlines later became a fully state-owned company in 1977, when the government acquired 49% of the shares held by Alitalia.
By , the fleet consisted of two Boeing 707-320Cs, two Boeing 720Bs, two Fokker F27-600s, two DC-3s, one Cessna 402 and one Cessna 180. Colonel Mohamoud Gulaid was appointed chairman and CEO during 1983. At , the number of employees was 714 and the fleet had reduced to include two Boeing 707-320Cs and two F.27-600s, with routes operated from Berbera and Mogadishu to Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Frankfurt, Jeddah, Nairobi and Rome. In , a new route to Banjul and Conakry was launched, and a firm order for an Airbus A310-300 was placed late that year, with an option for another one; the aircraft was aimed at replacing the 707 fleet on routes to Europe and the Middle East.
In July 2012, Mohammed Osman Ali (Dhagah-tur), the General Director of the Ministry of Aviation and Transport, announced that the Somali government had begun preparations to revive the national carrier, Somali Airlines. The Somali authorities along with the Somali Civil Aviation Steering Committee (SCASC) — a joint commission composed of officials from Somalia's federal and regional governments as well as members of the CACAS, ICAO/TCB and UNDP, convened with international aviation groups in Montreal to request support for the ongoing rehabilitation efforts. The SCASC set a three-year window for reconstruction of the national civil aviation capacity. It also requested the complete transfer of Somali civil aviation operations and assets from the CACAS caretaker body to the Somali authorities.
In November 2013, the Germany-based Skyliner reported that a new Boeing 737-400 cargo airliner was scheduled to be transferred from Budapest airport to Mogadishu by the end of December. The plane was concurrently being painted in the Somali national colours ahead of delivery. A staff representative for the SAMair company, Zsolt Kovács, also indicated that another aircraft was also undergoing construction at the airport and that both planes had been purchased from SAMair by the Somali federal authorities on behalf of Somali Airlines.
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Later that month, Somalia took back full control of its airspace for the first time in 27 years. The responsibility was handed over to the Somali Civil Aviation Authority in Mogadishu, ending years of management from outside the country.
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In 2024, in an interview on Somali National Television (SNTV), Director of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority affirmed the government’s operational readiness. He said the authority is fully prepared and has the capacity to certify the airline, issue air operator approvals, and license both flight crew and maintenance personnel. He emphasized that if Somali Airlines were to commence operations tomorrow, all necessary regulatory support is already in place.
He also revealed that he served on the committee overseeing the relaunch preparations. According to him, the committee has successfully resolved all outstanding legacy documentation, regulatory challenges, operational issues, and other matters inherited from the former Somali Airlines.
Also in 2024, the Somali government began training future Somali Airlines pilots through the newly established Gamtecs Aviation Academy in Mogadishu. The academy, which does not admit members of the general public, recruited certified instructors and launched training programs exclusively for government-assigned cadets. Training utilized two Cessna aircraft, 6O-AAK (Cessna 172RG) and 6O-AAJ (Cessna FR172J), for initial flight instruction.
According to Somali National Television (SNTV), cadets who successfully complete their Private Pilot Licence in Mogadishu would be sent to Italy, specifically Milan, thorough a government partnership with an Italian flight school. There they will pursue advanced certifications including the Commercial Pilot License (CPL), Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), and aircraft type ratings. The report said that some pilots will work for Somali Airlines and others will join the Somali Air Force.
On 23 March 2025, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Abdullahi Farah, stated the government’s intention to bring Somali Airlines back into service. He confirmed that the first phase would focus on regional flights and rebuilding the airline step by step.
Following the March announcement, in May 2025, the government appointed Abdulahi Iman as the airline’s Chief Executive Officer. The move marked the first tangible step toward the airline’s operational revival, transitioning from planning to implementation.
The Minister stated that the airline is expected to commence operations within two months, with further acquisitions anticipated. He emphasized that the revival aims to reduce dependency on foreign carriers, expand access for the Somali diaspora, create employment opportunities for young professionals, and support national economic development. This effort, he said, is part of a broader self-reliance strategy under the administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre.
In his statement, the Minister affirmed that the aircraft were purchased by the Somali government and are owned by the Somali people, reflecting the country’s intention to reestablish its civil aviation sector. He also indicated plans to expand the fleet with an immediate goal of acquiring at least three more planes beyond the initial two Airbus A320s, potentially including larger aircraft for international routes.
| OAG Flight Guide 1991 |
| + Somali Airlines fleet | |||||
| Airbus A320 | 2 | TBA | TBA | TBA | The airline purchased two A320s to form its initial fleet. |
| Vickers Viscount | 6O-AAJ | Written off | /30 | The aircraft was on final approach to Mogadishu International Airport when control was lost due to a fire that erupted in the cargo hold. Upon a nose-down landing, the nosegear collapsed and the airplane continued rolling on her nose until it came to rest. The fire intensified, eventually engulfing the fuselage and destroying it completely. | |||
| Bosaso | 6O-SAC | W/O | /11 | Crashed shortly after takeoff from Bosaso Airport, following a failure on the port engine. | |||
| Balad | 6O-SAY | W/O | /50 | Flight 40 crashed near Balad and burned out, minutes after take-off from Mogadishu International Airport on a domestic scheduled Mogadishu–Hargeisa passenger service. The aircraft encountered severe turbulence on its flight path when it entered an area of heavy rain and started to dive. The stresses the airframe went through during the dive—up to 5.76 g-force—exceeded the ones it could possibly withstand, and parts of the starboard wing got detached. | |||
| Nairobi | 6O-SBT | W/O | /70 | Overran the wet runway at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport following an aborted take-off. | |||
| F27-200RF | 6O-SAZ | W/O | /30 | Rebels claimed to have shot down the aircraft, that had departed from Hargeisa International Airport bound for Mogadishu, during initial climbout. | |||
| 0 | Gunshots fired at a Somali Airlines aircraft at Mogadishu Airport following an attempt by an armed group of individuals to board an Italian cargo plane "that had just landed to deliver relief supplies to refugees. There were arrests but no injuries reported in the incident." |
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