Somaliland chases air links in campaign for nationhood

[Siciid1986]

Somaliland chases air links in campaign for nationhood

 

 

With the re-opening of Egal airport, serving the aspiring country’s ‘capital’, Hargeisa, Somaliland is aiming for new carriers and destinations.

 

On September 1, Ethiopian Airlines inaugurated a B737 service to Hargeisa airport’s newly extended 2.4km runway.

Kenya Airways is now poised to launch flights to Nairobi, said Ahmed Dalal Farah, director general of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air Transport.

“Kenya Airlines has approved to open a direct route from Nairobi to Hargeisa, subject to commissioning teams coming in two weeks to assess the runway, safety and security concerns, as per the requirement of their company and KLM as the international partner,” he told Routes News.

“We are confident that Egal Airport will pass this test, as we did the same process for Ethiopian Airlines operating between Hargeisa and Addis Ababa.”

 

At the end of August, Egal International Airport completed an overhaul largely funded by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.

Hargeisa’s runway will now be extended by a further 1.6km, while Berbera Airport will be ungraded with a new terminal, 16km of security fencing and improved screening and baggage facilities, said Farah.

Air Arabia, Yemen Airways and South African Airways are all considering new services to Somaliland, said Farah.

“Air Arabia have approached us with an interest in making our Berbera International Airport a commercial hub for destinations to western Africa,” he said.

“The business negotiation is still continuing and hopefully may materialise in the first quarter of 2014.”

Yemen Airways is interested in opening flights between Aden/Sana’a and Berbera/Egal, he added.

South African Airways is keen on a stopover in either Egal or Berbera for its flights between Johannesburg and Dubai, he said.

“They have done marketing of the large Somali communities living in South Africa,” said Farah.

“We did not pursue the interest since Egal International Airport was under construction, but in the coming year we have plans to recommence the discussion.”

 

Somaliland’s efforts to improve its air links have been boosted by an agreement with the Federal Government of Somalia, which should lead to an internationally recognised joint committee controlling Somaliland’s airspace.

Farah also sees several economic drivers for new routes and frequencies.

These include: businesspeople from the Middle East trading with China via Dubai; Nairobi-based humanitarian and development professionals working in Somalia and Somaliland; summer visits from the Somali diaspora; and Hajj travel to Mecca and Medina.

“Future potential drivers will be the growing trade cooperation with Ethiopia using Berbera Port for importing 30% of their national import,” added Farah.

But aviation also has a strategic role in Somaliland’s long-running pursuit of sovereign status, he said.

“The existing two international airports of Somaliland played a critical role in providing access for our political leaders… at times of lobbying,” he said.

 

Somaliland’s local government declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but the autonomous region is still campaigning for international bodies to recognise its nationhood.

The region’s current air services include Jubba Airways flights from Hargeisa to Djibouti and Mogadishu.

From Berbera, African Express, Daallo Airlines, Jubba Airways and Ethiopian Airlines services offering links with the UAE, Ethiopia, Somalia and Saudi Arabia.

 

Routes-news

[GAROODI]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=AwQJVckLYoU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

 

 

Good development for Egal international airport. As long as planes do not land during the night because south Hargaisa needs sleep.

[Somalia]

GAROODI;976025 wrote:

Good development but Lakin I appose any expansion of Egal airport because I need sleep. If we have large aircraft carriers my naibourhood would sound like heathrow. Expand Berbera as much as you like but Egal airport should remain for small aircrafts and cargo because We Need To Sleep in south Hargaisa

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call 'faan gone wrong'.

[Dr_Osman]

Building hargaysa aiport and berbera aiport yaa? ma puntland bay ismoodeen oo bosaso and garowe from scratch ka dhisay not something la dhaxlay. You are not puntlanders keep dreaming with your pathetic GDP of $200 per capita and 80% unemployment. How can a GDP be developed with 80% unemployed the whole clan is inactive and merely surviving on boqol dollarka loo diro

 

http://www.uhubso.com/index.asp-Q-Page-E-Facts-about-Somaliland--18328059

[Somalia]

Ditoore Cismaan, come on

[Dr_Osman]

Somalia runta yaa uu sheego nimankan oo onlineka article kasto la soo shir tago from sun struck tourists to any little hope they can leech onto. The reality waxaa weeye nimanku 80% waa unemployed inta yar shaqaysato badana waba jaad dealers who's job is to keep the 80% unemployed.

 

Somalia ma macqul bay kula tahay meel ay 80% unemployed tahay shaqo malaha waxba uma soo kordhiyan economyga vs a pedofile administration oo sheeganayo in budgetkooda tahay 200 million. Somaliland waxay uu bahan tahay massive job creation schemes to catch up with Puntland Mogadishu which have 40% unemployment rate. They got a long way to go thats all I will say before they can even come close to the economies of both regions which have busier ports and less unemployment and people contributing and making theyre economies larger.

[GAROODI]

Somalia;976026 wrote:

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call 'faan gone wrong'.

If you say...

[GAROODI]

Somalia;976033 wrote:

Ditoore Cismaan, come on

You and the "Ditoore" are on the same chapter. Faan gone wrong. Coming from an outsider who could not possibly know what the f&ck I'm talking about considering he has never been to Hargaisa. I live 10 min drive from the airport.

[GAROODI]

D/p

[The Sage]

Dr_Osman;976034 wrote:

vs a pedofile administration.

You already have been the laughing stock of this forum for a long time but at point you're just disgusting and nonsensical