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THE AIRLINE

In most places around the world, working in civil aviation would not beconsidered an especially dangerous calling. However, Somalia is not mostplaces. On September 20, shortly before African Aerospace travelled to

Mogadishu for this special report, Ali Mohamed Ibrahim, the general manager ofSomalia’s civil aviation authority (SCAMA), was attacked by gunmen en route tohis office.

The assassination attempt killed his driver and bodyguard but Ibrahimmanaged to escape with his life. He is now receiving medical treatment inIstanbul, and we wish him well.

Such incidents are, regrettably, not uncommon in Somalia. Just two years ago,Ibrahim Iman Halane, the managing director of Mogadishu’s Aden AddeInternational Airport, was killed in another presumed attack by Al Shabaab, themilitant group spawned from Somalia’s former ruling Islamic Courts Union.

Despite losing most of their urban power bases in recent years, thejihadists continue to wage guerrilla warfare across the country with abrutal campaign of suicide bombings, shootings and kidnappings.

Somali transport minister Said Korshel (left)talks to Martin Rivers about the crucial role thataviation is playing in his country’sredevelopment, and what prospects flag-carrierSomali Airlines has of returning to the skies.

SOMALIA ON THEROAD TO RECOVERY

With Somalia enjoying its most stable period in recent history, Martin Rivers and Ian Billinghurst travelled to Mogadishu to witness the progress first-hand.

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Somalis, however, are unlikely to becowed by such threats. Having enduredtwo decades of civil war since the collapseof Siad Barre’s regime in 1991, they aresteadfastly rebuilding the institutions thatmost countries take for granted. A newfederal parliament was established inAugust 2012, with lawmakers choosingHassan Sheikh Mohamud as theirpresident.

While the political process gatherssteam – national elections are nowplanned for 2016 – members of theSomali diaspora are flocking back in ever-greater numbers, eager to play their partin rehabilitating the war-ravaged country.

They are emboldened by seeing thetangible difference that other returningSomalis have already made.

“I came back to the country in 2004.Before then I lived in Canada since1991,” said transport minister SaidKorshel.

“Now, my sister is an MP. My wife is anMP. The reason we came back is just tohelp the country try to recover, to do thebest we can. As the minister of transport Iwas very happy to see the changes therehave been… in the media, you cannotreally feel what’s going on in the country.”

Though no-one in Somalia takessecurity for granted, Korshel’s familybackground has served him well. Hisfather, Jama Korshel, was a major generalin the army and the head of Somalia’spolice force.

After launching his political career in the

north-eastern region of Puntland, hisindigenous homeland, the younger Korshelquickly rose through the ranks on thenational stage. Ministerial postings for sportsand youth, environment and livestock, andagriculture earned him his stripes. But it wasa promotion to the transport ministry inJanuary 2014 that sharpened his focus on thepower of aviation.

“Outside Mogadishu there are no realroads, so civil aviation is very importantin Somalia,” he explained. “Each localcity is making its own airstrip, so you canfly from Mogadishu to any location in thecountry. There’s a lot of Somalis who arenow investing in small planes to makethese connections.”

For the Somali diaspora – centred onthe United Kingdom, Scandinavia andNorth America – aviation also provides acrucial connection with the homeland.

It is a connection that, for now at least,is served exclusively by Turkish Airlines,the only major international carrier flyingto Mogadishu.

“When you see Turkish Airlines goingto Somalia, it becomes the same as goingto New York, London, Dubai,” Korshelemphasised. “It gives Somalia a safereputation, which is really important. Weare so grateful to Turkish Airlines for this.Otherwise nobody would come here.They took the risk, and they showed thatit’s safe.”

Turkey’s flag-carrier launched its twice-weekly service from Istanbul in March2012, later boosting frequencies to four

times weekly and incorporating astopover in Djibouti.

Kayhan Bilgili, Turkish Airlines’country manager for Somalia, said loadfactors on the route are strong and it couldbecome a daily service.

“Istanbul works perfectly,” Korsheladded, referring to the mega-hub’s hugeintercontinental network. “The next dayyou can go to anywhere you want.Wherever Somalis live, they should beconnected [to their homeland]. That’s thepriority for us.”

While Istanbul serves as a bridgingpoint for Europe and North America, tworegional hubs open up the rest of theworld to Mogadishu.

Dubai unlocks easy connections withthe Middle East and Asia, and is served byall thee of Somalia’s home-grown carriers– Jubba Airways, African Express Airwaysand Daallo Airlines. Nairobi, meanwhile,facilitates onward travel to southern,central and west Africa. It is again servedby all three domestic carriers, as well asFly-SAX, a subsidiary of Kenya’s Fly540.

Scheduled flights are operated to justfour other foreign cities – Djibouti, Aden,Jeddah and Sharjah – while about onethird of all departures from the capital aredomestic services. The main destinationsare Kismayo in the south, Hargeisa,Bosaso and Berbera in the north, andBaidoa and Galkayo in central Somalia.

Ethiopian Airlines is only otherscheduled foreign operator in Somalia,serving Hargeisa, the capital of the semi-autonomous north-western region ofSomaliland.

But, following two years of trouble-freeoperations by Turkey’s flag-carrier, agrowing number of airlines are nowevaluating the Somali capital.

“After Turkish Airlines started to flyhere, it opened the way for internationalflights,” confirmed Mohamed Egal, thedeputy general manager of SCAMA. “Itcreated a lot of confidence among the othercommercial airlines. They are willing tocome and do business in Mogadishu; theysee opportunities in Mogadishu.”

Bilateral agreements have been updatedwith Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda,Yemen, the United Arab Emirates andOman. Talks, meanwhile, continue withUganda following last summer’sgrounding of Air Uganda, which hadflown from Entebbe to Mogadishu.

Pressed to identify specific airlinesconsidering route launches, Egal notedthat Flydubai, the short-haul affiliate ofEmirates Airline, has sent delegations toMogadishu “several times” to review itssecurity arrangements. Flydubai is rapidlyexpanding across east Africa, having last

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TURKISH AIRLINES – SOMALIA’S BIG BROTHERThe decision by Turkish Airlines to begin servingMogadishu in March 2012, although seemingly risky,was not unexpected.

Seven months previously, Turkey’s then-primeminister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had made clear hiscommitment to Somalia by becoming the first non-African leader to visit Mogadishu in nearly two decades.His arrival came within days of Al Shabaab abandoningits bases in the capital.

With Somalia’s institutions in disarray following twodecades of civil war, efforts by the country to get back onits feet were always going to rely heavily on support fromthe international community.

Turkey put itself firmly at the vanguard of this support.“During the summer months of 2011, Somalia faced a huge

drought and famine, the worst in 60 years,” Olgan Bekar,Turkey’s ambassador to Somalia, told African Aerospace inhis heavily fortified city-centre embassy. “Facing such kindof humanitarian crisis, we started to implement acomprehensive system of programmes in Somalia.

“Our humanitarian assistance was followed immediatelyby development activities. Sending humanitarian assistancesolves the problem for only a short time. Providingdevelopment projects; providing training for institutionalcapacity building – that is the most important thing.”

Within the aviation sector specifically, Turkish airportmanagement specialist Favori has initiated a 20-year

contract to operate Mogadishu’s Aden AddeInternational Airport, including providing groundhandling services and constructing the new terminal.

But Turkey’s reach extends far deeper into the Horn ofAfrica country.

As well as providing budgetary support to the federalgovernment – about $30 million in 2013 – Ankara isconstructing roads, schools and hospitals in Somalia.Mogadishu’s 200-bed Digfer Hospital, for example, wasrebuilt by Turkey at a cost of $58 million. Following a five-year management contract, it will be handed over to thefederal government as a gift.

The Turkish International Cooperation andCoordination Agency (TIKA) and the Turkish RedCrescent run countless other projects, managingorphanages, providing free meals, and teaching ruralSomalis best practices for farming and fishing.

Bekar admits that such projects will take years, evendecades, to deliver meaningful change to theimpoverished country. But together with long-termpolitical backing – signalled by the construction ofTurkey’s largest embassy anywhere in the world –Ankara shows no signs of cutting and running.

“Of course Somalis face enormous challenges,” theambassador conceded. “But they trust us, and we trustthem, and based on this trust and confidence we try tohelp them in a sincere way.”

Olgan Bekar:projects will takeyears, even decades,to deliver meaningfulchange to theimpoverished country.

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RECLAIMING THE SKIESIS KEY TO GROWTHOf all the milestones Somalia must pass on theroad to recovery, regaining control of itsairspace will surely be among the mostrewarding.

Since 1993, the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) and the International CivilAviation Organisation (ICAO) have beenresponsible for managing Somali skies. In 1996,they established the Civil Aviation CaretakerAuthority for Somalia (CACAS), a Nairobi-based authority that directs aircraft movementswithin the country.

“When all flights are calling Mogadishu, thepeople who respond are not physically inMogadishu,” transport minister Said Korshelexplained. “They are in Nairobi, in the UNcamp, saying, ‘We are Mogadishu’!

“Somalia is the only country in the worldcontrolled by ICAO. The first country wasSomalia, and the last country is still Somalia.That’s not acceptable.”

The federal government unveiled plans totake control of its airspace in May 2013, initiallypledging to complete the hand-over by the endof the year. That timeline proved unrealistic,however, and Korshel now believes thetransfer process will “take years” to complete.

Two significant hurdles must be overcomebefore Somalia regains control of its skies.

q q q q q

First, CACAS, which has agreed to the hand-over in principle, must be fully convinced thatthe Somalis have the technical capabilities,human expertise and security provisionsnecessary to meet international standards.

In terms of technical facilities, Korshelnoted that equipment manufactured by Selex,an Italian aerospace technology firm, waspurchased almost two years ago and iscurrently being held in Rome, pending furtherassessments by CACAS. ICAO has alsopromised to train Somali controllers ahead ofthe eventual transfer.

But there is another significant obstacle;one that speaks to the wider politicalchallenges facing Somalia’s loose-knit federalstructure.

Somaliland, the semi-autonomous north-western region vying for independence, seesairspace control from Mogadishu asincompatible with its aspirations of statehood.Though a deal was struck in July 2013 toestablish a joint airspace management centrein Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital, rather thanin Mogadishu, the status of that agreement isnow unclear.

Mohamed Abukar, the air transport managerof Somalia’s civil aviation authority (SCAMA),said there is an “on-going dialogue” betweenthe two sides. In lieu of a political deal, hebelieves airspace revenue sharing withregional administrations will help to buildconfidence.

“Mogadishu, Hargeisa, we don’t mind, aslong as they accept the unity of Somalia,” hestressed. “One airspace, one country, one flag.”

year launched three routes to Tanzania,plus one each to Burundi, Uganda andRwanda. It will begin serving Hargeisa inMarch.

Negotiations have also been held withYemenia, Qatar Airways and RoyalJordanian Airlines.

“It’s not that we are approaching othercountries. They are approaching us,” addedMohamed Abukar, SCAMA’s air transportmanager. “There was an image of Somaliaas a civil-war country, pirates, everyonekilling each other. Now that image ischanging.”

Sentiment has improved so much that,last summer, SkyGreece Airlines launchedthe first direct link between the EuropeanUnion and Mogadishu since the civil war,partnering with Swedish tour operator FlyOlympic for weekly flights from Stockholmand London via Athens. The routes weresuspended in July, however, when FlyOlympic filed for bankruptcy.

As well as leaving the door open forforeign carriers to enter the market,SCAMA and the federal government areworking hard to resurrect Somali Airlines,the country’s historic flag-carrier, whichwas founded as a joint venture with Alitaliain 1964 but ceased operations in 1991.

“We are planning to establish SomaliAirlines again as the national carrier,”Korshel confirmed.

“It’s not going to be only a governmentinstitution; we want to give othercompanies – Jubba, African Express,

Daallo – a chance to join together, and eachone take a share and create a big SomaliAirline.”

Korshel accepts that a reborn, part-privatised Somali Airlines “will not be theSomali Airlines of the 1970s and 80s”. Inits heyday, the flag-carrier’s route networkincluded several European cities plus anextensive footprint across Africa and theMiddle East. But he insists that a moremodest operation would still aid thecountry’s economic recovery.

The cash-strapped government istherefore seeking out a foreign partner forinvestment in the project. Given thatAlitalia offloaded its stake back in 1977,the preferred choice is, predictably, TurkishAirlines.

“We are happy and ready to work withTurkey,” Korshel said. “If they can joinand take a share of Somali Airlines, that’swelcome and it would be helpful. Two orthree or four planes could start SomaliAirlines.”

Should Turkish Airlines decline theinvitation, he speculated that rekindlingSomalia’s historic relationship withLufthansa might be an option.

Emphasising the flag-carrier’s strong assetportfolio, the ministernoted that it still ownsoffices near Aden AddeAirport,at theKM4

SCAMA trio, fromright MohamedEgal, MohamedAbukar, andAhmed Farah.

THE AIRLINE

“Weare planning to

establish SomaliAirlines again as the

national carrier.”SAID KORSHEL

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SOMMAIRE

A cet égard, Saïd Korshel, ministre des Transports de la Somalie, souligne le rôle crucial quejoue l’aviation dans la reconstruction de son pays de même que les perspectives de son porte-drapeau, la Somalie Airlines, de reprendre son envol.

Le processus politique prend de la vitesse dans ce pays décimé par la guerre et le terrorisme.Des élections générales sont prévues en 2016. Les membres de la diaspora somalienne rentrentau pays pour participer à sa reconstruction, à l’instar de Saïd Korshel.

A ce jour, la capitale est desservie à l’international exclusivement par Turkish Airlines. Alorsqu’Istanbul sert de passerelle pour l’Europe et l’Amérique du Nord, deux hubs régionaux desservispar Jubba Airways, African Express Airways et Daallo Airlines ouvrent le reste du monde àMogadishu : Dubaï pour des connexions avec le Moyen-Orient et l’Asie et Nairobi facilitant l’accèsvers le sud, le centre et l’ouest de l’Afrique. Fly-SAX dessert également cette route.

Ethiopian Airlines opère aussi en Somalie.Plusieurs compagnies aériennes s’y intéressent : FlyDubai, Yemenia, Qatar Airways et Royal

Jordanian Airlines. Des accords bilatéraux ont été mis à jour avec l’Egypte, le Kenya, l’Ethiopie,le Rwanda, le Yémen, les Emirats arabes unis et Oman. Les pourparlers continuent avecl’Ouganda.

A noter que, SCAMA et le gouvernement fédéral collaborent pour ressusciter SomaliaAirlines, qui a cessé ses activités en 1991, grâce à un partenariat. L’optimisme est de mise mêmesi la compétition est rude dans un marché libéral.

Par ailleurs, depuis 1993, le PNUD et l’OACI sont responsables de la gestion du ciel somalien.Pour reprendre le contrôle de son espace aérien, la Somalie doit convaincre la CACAS sur sescapacités techniques, son expertise humaine et ses dispositions de sécurité pour répondre auxnormes internationales.

UNE NOUVELLE IMAGEEntretemps, le pays investit dans ses infrastructures. Le nouveau terminal de l’aéroportinternational Aden Adde de Mogadiscio est considéré comme le noyau stratégique dudéveloppement national. Selon le président somalien, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, ce terminal vachanger la face de la Somalie.

Avec un débit maximal de 1000 passagers par heure, l’aéroport pourra gérer 60 volscommerciaux quotidiennement - plus du double que le volume actuel. Les soldats de la Missionde l’Union africaine en Somalie (AMISOM) continueront d’y assurer la sécurité, tandis que 50gardes non armés et 70 caméras de vidéosurveillance œil suivront de près les moindresactivités.

La tour de contrôle réhabilitée sera opérationnelle en 2015.Pour Saïd Korshel, le lifting de l’aéroport est une première étape cruciale vers la

normalisation de l’image de la Somalie. De nombreux pays rouvrent leurs ambassades sur placegrâce à un regain de confiance.

MAINTIEN DE LA PAIX Le transport aérien cimente toute la structure militaire, humanitaire et politique alors que lesNations Unies et l’Union africaine travaillent ensemble pour réhabiliter la capitale somalienne.

Seulement la moitié des quelque 50 vols quotidiens à l’aéroport de Mogadiscio sont desservices commerciaux.

Le reste étant exploité par l’ONU et des organismes annexes pour assurer des pontshumanitaires aériens (transport de nourriture, de fournitures médicales et du personnel), desservices militaires pour l’AMISOM, du soutien à la force multinationale luttant contrel’insurrection d’Al Shabaab et des vols diplomatiques ou du transport VIP.

L’UNSOA déploie entre 15 et 25 avions dont des Lockheed C-130, Bombardier « Dash 8 » etCessna Citation Jets tandis que sa flotte giravion dispose de Mil Mi-8 et de Kawasaki BK117.Malgré les risques (évalués en permanence selon un protocole établi) dans les zones de conflit,ces avions assurent les évacuations médicales et sanitaires, le déploiement des troupes et lesmissions de ravitaillement.

Par ailleurs, les forces de l’AMISOM sont engagées sans relâche dans la lutte contre leterrorisme pour assurer la sécurité des populations civiles.

Vers la stabilité et le redressement

junction in the city centre, and even overseas in cities like Romeand Nairobi. He further believes that insurance could berecovered on some of the planes spirited away to Germany in1991.

Even with foreign backing, though, the project will likely bedependent oncommercialassistance fromSomalia’s existingmarket players. That,Korshel admitted,cannot be taken forgranted.

“If it’s not possible,we should respectthese companies,” hestressed. “It’s not upto the regulator to sayonly certaincompanies shouldwork in this country.That’s history, it’sgone, it’s the good olddays of scientificsocialism. Now is thetime forcompetition.”

Egal echoed thisstance, saying thatSCAMA has made itspreference clear, butwill not interfere withthe free market.

“We encouragedthem (localoperators) to collecttogether, to merge,and be SomaliAirlines,” he said.“We advised them todo it, but we don’t force them.”

Pinning down a timeframe for the re-launch is, therefore,difficult. Abukar is optimistic of progress “within the comingmonths”, while Korshel takes a more cautious tone, saying theflag-carrier “could be back” within five years. He is, perhaps,mindful of some recent false starts.

In November 2013, a 737-400 painted in Somali Airlines’ bluelivery was unexpectedly photographed in Budapest. The aircraft(MSN 24438) was registered to Samair, a Slovakian charter carrier,and speculation abounded that its delivery to Mogadishu might beimminent. Within months, however, Samair had ceased operationsand 24438 was earmarked for freighter conversion.

Such dashed hopes will disappoint aviation enthusiasts but,in truth, Somalia has far more urgent development priorities.

Still barely two years old, the federal government is wadingthrough a herculean list of tasks: destroying Al Shabaab;building basic infrastructure; improving employment andeducation opportunities; attaining self-sustenance through theagriculture and fishery sectors; and introducing free electionsby 2016.

“When you have no government for a long time, it’s verydifficult to recover everything at once,” Korshel emphasised.“So we accept some of the problems we face.

“The important thing is that we are moving in the rightdirection. I think we are.”

La Somalie vit actuellement la période la plus stable depuisl’éclatement des conflits en 1991. Le transport aérien joue un rôlecatalyseur dans le redressement économique. Il soutient égalementles structures politiques, militaires et humanitaires mises en placealors que les Nations Unies et l’Union africaine œuvrent de concertpour réhabiliter le pays. Martin Rivers et Ian Billinghurst ont constatéles changements en cours à Mogadiscio.

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