Somaliland Bans Airline Transit Through Mogadishu as Aviation Dispute Deepens.
Somaliland has barred airlines from routing passengers through Mogadishu, escalating a long-running confrontation with Somalia over visa rules, airspace authority and aviation security.
The directive, issued by Somaliland’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, takes effect Dec. 1 and prohibits carriers from ticketing itineraries that send Hargeisa-bound travelers through the Somali capital.
Officials in Hargeisa say the ban follows a series of incidents that raised “serious security concerns.” The order cites Annex 17 of the International Civil Aviation Organization, which governs aviation safety standards, and instructs airlines to immediately update their reservation systems to remove Mogadishu-linked transit options for Somaliland passengers.
The move is the latest chapter in an increasingly complex dispute sparked by Somalia’s rollout of a mandatory federal e-visa system on Sept. 1. The policy requires all international travelers—including those flying solely to Hargeisa—to obtain approval through Mogadishu’s online portal before boarding a flight.
Somaliland and Puntland rejected the mandate, insisting that immigration authority lies with their respective administrations. Somaliland maintains a long-standing visa-on-arrival at Hargeisa’s Egal International Airport, and officials have emphasized that only documents issued by its own immigration service are valid at its points of entry.
The policy dispute quickly led to travel disruptions. Passengers from Dubai, Nairobi and Addis Ababa were denied boarding or forced to pay additional fees when Somaliland refused to recognize federal e-visas.
In early November, Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) warned Flydubai for transporting a passenger to Hargeisa without the federal authorization, threatening penalties and possible license reviews for airlines that do not comply.
The SCAA argues that only the federal government has legal authority to regulate immigration policy and manage the Mogadishu Flight Information Region (FIR), which it says is recognized internationally as Class A airspace. In response, Somaliland instructed airlines to seek direct clearance from its own aviation authority for all aircraft entering its territory or overflying its skies.
Somaliland officials say roughly 40 percent of airlines crossing its airspace now use its permit system.
The dispute took another turn when cybersecurity concerns overtook regulatory disagreements. On Nov. 14, the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu confirmed that Somalia’s federal e-visa platform had been breached, potentially exposing the personal data of more than 35,000 travelers, including passport numbers, photographs and contact information.
Somaliland and Puntland cited the breach as further evidence that Mogadishu’s system is insecure and should not be mandatory for air travel.
Airlines now face conflicting directives from two aviation authorities, two immigration systems, and rising pressure from passengers caught in bureaucratic limbo. Travelers have reported inconsistent boarding requirements, additional visa payments, and last-minute flight delays.
The tensions mirror a broader disagreement over airspace control dating back more than a decade. Somalia regained nominal control of its airspace in 2023 after years of international oversight, but Somaliland argues that the arrangement remains unresolved.
Officials in Hargeisa accuse Mogadishu of mismanaging more than $60 million earmarked for air traffic management and say the federal authority has failed to provide transparent accounting.
International safety concerns have also been raised. Aviation industry publications have reported incidents in which pilots received conflicting instructions while flying through Somaliland and Somalia airspace.
Somaliland Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Aden recently told diplomats that Mogadishu’s aviation directives amount to “a direct challenge to Somaliland’s sovereignty,” while Minister of the Presidency Khadar Hussein Abdi described the situation as “a direct war over airspace and immigration control.”
As policies diverge and tensions rise, airlines and passengers are left navigating an increasingly fractured aviation environment, reflecting the broader political divide between Somalia’s federal government and Somaliland.
E-Visa Collapse: Mogadishu’s Latest Failure, Somaliland’s Strongest Proof
Somalia’s Fake Digital Revolution Ends in Humiliation and Shutdown
Somaliland Takes Full Control of Its Airspace, Rejects Somalia’s e-Visa
Somaliland Pushes for Airspace Control Amid Escalating Tensions with Somalia
Travelers Using Somalia’s Visas to Be Turned Back at Somaliland Gates
Somaliland’s $70 Million Airport Deal Signals UAE-Backed Power Shift in the Horn
Berbera Airport to Link with Addis, Export Local Goods, and Attract Global Traffic
Strategic Blueprint: Achieving Airspace Sovereignty for Somaliland
Somalia’s Airspace Ban Reveals China’s Grip—and Somaliland’s Rising Global Standing
Somaliland and Ethiopia Forge a Multi-Sectoral Economic Corridor
