International Air Transport Association Reclassifies Somalia’s Airspace to class A after 30 years

The federal government of Somalia reclaimed class A status for its airspace after more than 30 years. The international air transport association said the move will significantly improve safety in the region and enhance efficiency.

Class A airspace is the sky above the base altitude of about 24,500 feet (7,467 meters) above mean sea level, according to IATA. In it, all flights must be cleared by air traffic control, which is responsible for maintaining the correct separation between aircraft, which required the Mogadishu Flight Information Region to install new equipment.

Since the collapse of Somalia’s central government in 1991, the country’s airspace had been run from Nairobi in neighboring Kenya from 1992 until June 2018, when the Somali government transferred management of the airspace to Mogadishu.

Somalia civil aviation authorities said it’s welcoming news and they will now have the authority to provide more services to pilots.