Mogadishu International Airport
Encyclopedia
Aden Adde International Airport , formerly known as Mogadishu International Airport, is the international airport
for Mogadishu
, the capital of Somalia
. It is named after Aden Abdullah Osman Daar
, the first President of Somalia.
Originally a modest-sized airport, the facility grew considerably in size in the post-independence period after numerous successive renovation projects. With the outbreak of the civil war in the early 1990s, Aden Adde International's flight services experienced routine disruptions. However, with the security situation in Mogadishu greatly improved in the late 2010-2011 period, large-scale rehabilitation of the airport's grounds and services has once again resumed.
offered flights to numerous global destinations. In the mid-1960s, the airport was enlarged to accommodate more international carriers, with the state-owned Somali Airlines
providing regular trips to all major cities. By 1969, the airport's many landing grounds could also host small jets and DC 6B-type aircraft.
In the 1970s, Somalia's then ruling socialist
government enlisted its Soviet
allies for major renovations to the ground's facilities, in the process significantly enlarging the airport's capacity to cater to both civilian and military needs.
Mogadishu International Airport was also patronized at the point by the Somali Air Corps
(SAC), which had an airlift wing stationed in the capital. The SAC maintained a military academy at the airport that was used by all air force members.
In the 1980s, the Somalian federal government recruited the US Navy, its new Cold War
partner, to further enlarge the Mogadishu airport. The project included the construction of a modern control tower equipped with state-of-the-art navigational technology. The Somali Civil Aviation Authority, which then regulated the national aviation industry, also signed a contract with the Italian firm Selenia worth an estimated 17 billion Italian lire ($2.5 million). The agreement stipulated that the company would build a second terminal for international routes as well as a new control tower. The Italian firm was also tasked with supplying air traffic control equipment.
With the collapse of the Siad Barre
regime and the ensuing civil war
, the airport's ongoing renovations came to a halt. Aviation operations also routinely experienced disruptions and the airport's grounds incurred significant damage. On August 3, 2006, African Express Airways
became the first international airline to resume regular flights to Mogadishu International Airport.
On June 8, 2007, the Transitional Federal Government
(TFG) announced that the airport would be renamed in honor of the first President of Somalia, Aden Abdullah Osman Daar
, who had died earlier in the day.
The following year, due to security risks brought on by the resumption of fighting in the wake of the Ethiopian intervention, most civilian aircraft opted to land and depart from K50 Airport
, situated about 50 km from Mogadishu in Lower Shabelle. However, in the late 2010 period, the security situation in Mogadishu had significantly improved, with the federal government eventually managing to assume full control of the capital by August of the following year.
-based aviation firm that specializes in conflict zones, was contracted by the TFG to manage operations over a period of ten years at the re-opened Aden Adde International Airport. With concurrent activities in Iraq
and Afghanistan
, among other complex areas, the company is expected to run security screening, passenger security and terminals. SKA staff has also begun re-training Somalian airport personnel for the purpose. Although flights and other airport operations are presently limited to daylight hours, the firm is working on expanding activities once runway lighting and other features have been restored.
As of 2011, the largest services using Adden Adde International Airport include the Somali-owned private carriers Jubba Airways
and Daallo Airlines
, in addition to UN charter planes and African Express Airways
. The airport also offers flights to other Somalian cities such as Galkacyo, Berbera
and Hargeisa
, as well as international destinations like Djibouti
and Jeddah
.
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
for Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, the capital of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. It is named after Aden Abdullah Osman Daar
Aden Abdullah Osman Daar
Aden Abdulle Osman Daar , popularly known as Aadan Cadde, was a Somali politician and the country's first President from July 1, 1960 to June 10, 1967.-Biography:...
, the first President of Somalia.
Originally a modest-sized airport, the facility grew considerably in size in the post-independence period after numerous successive renovation projects. With the outbreak of the civil war in the early 1990s, Aden Adde International's flight services experienced routine disruptions. However, with the security situation in Mogadishu greatly improved in the late 2010-2011 period, large-scale rehabilitation of the airport's grounds and services has once again resumed.
History
During the post-independence period, Mogadishu International AirportMogadishu International Airport
Aden Adde International Airport , formerly known as Mogadishu International Airport, is the international airport for Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. It is named after Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, the first President of Somalia....
offered flights to numerous global destinations. In the mid-1960s, the airport was enlarged to accommodate more international carriers, with the state-owned Somali Airlines
Somali Airlines
Somali Airlines was the flag carrier of Somalia.-History and destinations:The carrier was formed in March 1964 as the national airline of the country with the aid of Alitalia, which initially held a 50% controlling stake in the company, and the Somali government held the balance...
providing regular trips to all major cities. By 1969, the airport's many landing grounds could also host small jets and DC 6B-type aircraft.
In the 1970s, Somalia's then ruling socialist
Somali Democratic Republic
The Somali Democratic Republic was the name that the communist regime of former President of Somalia Major General Mohamed Siad Barre gave to Somalia after seizing power during a bloodless coup d'état in 1969...
government enlisted its Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
allies for major renovations to the ground's facilities, in the process significantly enlarging the airport's capacity to cater to both civilian and military needs.
Mogadishu International Airport was also patronized at the point by the Somali Air Corps
Somali Air Corps
The Somali Air Force is the air force of Somalia. The Somali Aeronautical Corps was the name of the Somali Air Force during the pre-independence period. After 1960, when Somalia gained independence, the name changed to the Somali Air Force...
(SAC), which had an airlift wing stationed in the capital. The SAC maintained a military academy at the airport that was used by all air force members.
In the 1980s, the Somalian federal government recruited the US Navy, its new Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
partner, to further enlarge the Mogadishu airport. The project included the construction of a modern control tower equipped with state-of-the-art navigational technology. The Somali Civil Aviation Authority, which then regulated the national aviation industry, also signed a contract with the Italian firm Selenia worth an estimated 17 billion Italian lire ($2.5 million). The agreement stipulated that the company would build a second terminal for international routes as well as a new control tower. The Italian firm was also tasked with supplying air traffic control equipment.
With the collapse of the Siad Barre
Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre was the military dictator and President of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 1991. During his rule, he styled himself as Jaalle Siyaad ....
regime and the ensuing civil war
Somali Civil War
The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...
, the airport's ongoing renovations came to a halt. Aviation operations also routinely experienced disruptions and the airport's grounds incurred significant damage. On August 3, 2006, African Express Airways
African Express Airways
African Express Airways is the second fully Kenyan designated airline to over 30 countries in four continents. The airline is largest and oldest privately owned in East Africa based at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi...
became the first international airline to resume regular flights to Mogadishu International Airport.
On June 8, 2007, the Transitional Federal Government
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
(TFG) announced that the airport would be renamed in honor of the first President of Somalia, Aden Abdullah Osman Daar
Aden Abdullah Osman Daar
Aden Abdulle Osman Daar , popularly known as Aadan Cadde, was a Somali politician and the country's first President from July 1, 1960 to June 10, 1967.-Biography:...
, who had died earlier in the day.
The following year, due to security risks brought on by the resumption of fighting in the wake of the Ethiopian intervention, most civilian aircraft opted to land and depart from K50 Airport
K50 Airport
-Overview:Its name is derived from its location, about 50 kilometres south of Mogadishu. In the late 2000s, K50 served as Mogadishu's main airport while Aden Adde International Airport briefly shut down due to the ongoing War in Somalia. Daallo Airlines operates routes to and from K50.-Airlines and...
, situated about 50 km from Mogadishu in Lower Shabelle. However, in the late 2010 period, the security situation in Mogadishu had significantly improved, with the federal government eventually managing to assume full control of the capital by August of the following year.
Renovations
In late 2010, SKA Air and Logistics, a DubaiDubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
-based aviation firm that specializes in conflict zones, was contracted by the TFG to manage operations over a period of ten years at the re-opened Aden Adde International Airport. With concurrent activities in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, among other complex areas, the company is expected to run security screening, passenger security and terminals. SKA staff has also begun re-training Somalian airport personnel for the purpose. Although flights and other airport operations are presently limited to daylight hours, the firm is working on expanding activities once runway lighting and other features have been restored.
As of 2011, the largest services using Adden Adde International Airport include the Somali-owned private carriers Jubba Airways
Jubba Airways
-History:It was founded in 1998 by two Calgary-based Somali entrepreneurs, Said Nur Qailie and Abdi Hashi Dalel.On May 1998, a month after the company had been established, the airline embarked on its first voyage...
and Daallo Airlines
Daallo Airlines
Daallo Airlines is an airline, headquartered in the Dubai Airport Free Zone in Al Garhoud, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With its main base at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport, the airline operates scheduled services in East Africa and the Middle East...
, in addition to UN charter planes and African Express Airways
African Express Airways
African Express Airways is the second fully Kenyan designated airline to over 30 countries in four continents. The airline is largest and oldest privately owned in East Africa based at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi...
. The airport also offers flights to other Somalian cities such as Galkacyo, Berbera
Berbera
Berbera is a city and seat of Berbera District in Somaliland, a self-proclaimed Independent Republic with de facto control over its own territory, which is recognized by the international community and the Somali Government as a part of Somalia...
and Hargeisa
Hargeisa
Hargeisa is a city in the northwestern Woqooyi Galbeed region of Somalia. With a population of approximately 2 million residents, it is the second largest city in the country. Hargeisa is the capital of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region...
, as well as international destinations like Djibouti
Djibouti (city)
The City of Djibouti is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. The biggest settlement on the Gulf of Tadjoura, it lies on a peninsula that separates that basin from the Gulf of Aden.-History:...
and Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
.
Airlines and destinations
Accidents and incidents
- On 6 May 1970, Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
6O-AAJ of Somali AirlinesSomali AirlinesSomali Airlines was the flag carrier of Somalia.-History and destinations:The carrier was formed in March 1964 as the national airline of the country with the aid of Alitalia, which initially held a 50% controlling stake in the company, and the Somali government held the balance...
caught fire on approach to Mogadishu International Airport. The nosewheel collapsed in a heavy landing and the aircraft was burnt out. Five of the 30 people on board were killed.
- In October 1977, Mogadishu International Airport was also the site of the Landshut Hijacking. Lufthansa Flight 181Lufthansa Flight 181Lufthansa Flight 181 was a Lufthansa Boeing 737-230 Adv aircraft named Landshut that was hijacked on October 13, 1977 by four members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine...
was a Lufthansa Boeing 737-230 Adv aircraft named "Landshut" that was hijacked on 13 October 1977 by four members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (P.F.L.P.). Calling themselves Commando Martyr Halime, the incident marked the last major event of the German Autumn of 1977. On 18 October, in a move carefully coordinated with the Barre administration, the besieged aircraft was stormed by the West German counter-terrorism group GSG 9GSG 9The GSG 9 der Bundespolizei , is the elite counter-terrorism and special operations unit of the German Federal Police.-History and name:...
. All 86 passengers were rescued in the operation, which was codenamed "Feuerzauber" ("Fire Magic") or "Zauberfeuer" ("Magic Fire").