Mogadishu bound flights to resume upon completion of security assessment, Turkish official

Turkish Airlines will resume direct flights to Mogadishu once the security situation in the city improves, Turkish Deputy under Secretary in the Turkish foreign ministry has exclusively told Goobjoog News.

Ali Kamal Aydin told Goobjoog News in Ankara his country was still assessing the security situation in the city and will issue a green light for the airliner to resume direct flights.

“We are taking the security issue very seriously within the airport and its environs. Once we are satisfied with the assessment then Turkish airlines will soon be flying direct to Mogadishu,” said Aydin.

Turkish Airlines suspended its direct flights to Mogadishu following a botched bomb attack on a Dhallo Airliner in February which forced the plane to revert to Mogadishu 35 minutes after takeoff.

Turkish Airlines started direct flights to Mogadishu in 2012, the first airline to connect Somalia to the rest of the world besides the East African region.

Passengers travelling to Turkey now have to connect a flight to Nairobi where the Turkish Airlines operates direct flight to.