Domestic flights resume in Somalia after three months restriction

Domestic flights have resumed in Somalia after more than three months of restrictions over fears of the spread of coronavirus.

A ceremony to flag off the resumption of domestic commercial flights took place at Adan Ade International airport.

Except for cargo and humanitarian flights, Somalia suspended all flights in March as part of the nation’s effort to slow the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

It remains unclear however when authorities will reopen the country’s airspace to international flights. All land borders remain closed.

Six flights were expected to arrive at Mogadishu’s Adan Ade International airport today.

According to flight radar, another set of six flights were to depart for different destinations from Mogadishu on Sunday.

These measures are being taken by the government to reduce the economic disruption caused by the pandemic.

Air transport is heavily used by commuters across the country to avert the possibility of passing through Alshabab and other militia-controlled areas if they were to use road transport.

The government has promised to abide by WHO regulations to reduce the risk of another wave of infections caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Somalia recorded one of the highest numbers of positive cases across the continent.

The Somali cabinet has approved the resumption of domestic flights which were suspended from April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said on Friday.

Somalia’s Ministry of Transport and Aviation said last month it reached an agreement with aviation companies to resume local flights with strict guidelines from the health ministry.

The measures adopted by the government correspond with similar actions taken by other regional governments in recent days in response to the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a viral respiratory disease caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (previously known as 2019-nCoV).

The cases are surging at a time Somalia is struggling to contain floods that have affected nearly a million people and desert locusts that are devouring crops and pasture in Puntland and Galmudug, creating a triple threat.