Somalia Highlights Strategic Airspace Role at Middle East Aviation Summit

GOOBJOOG NEWS | DOHA: Somalia has highlighted the growing strategic importance of its airspace to regional and international aviation, saying modernisation of its air navigation systems has strengthened the country’s role in connecting flight routes across the region.

Ahmed Moallin Hassan, director general of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), made the remarks at the eighth meeting of directors general of civil aviation authorities in the Middle East (DGCA-MID/8), held in Doha, Qatar.

Hassan said Somalia’s airspace had continued to play an important role in maintaining connections between regional and international civilian flights, even as security challenges in the wider region disrupted aviation operations.

“Today, we are at a point where the world depends on us,” he said, highlighting the importance of Somalia’s geographic position along major air routes.

He attributed the country’s progress to investment in modern aviation systems, the adoption of advanced technology and the development of a skilled workforce, saying these improvements had enhanced Somalia’s standing in the international aviation sector.

Somalia occupies a strategically important position along the western Indian Ocean and the Horn of Africa, linking parts of Africa and the Middle East. Its airspace is therefore relevant to airlines operating between the two regions, although the extent of its role depends on flight routes, air traffic arrangements and wider regional conditions.

The government has been working to rebuild and modernise aviation infrastructure after decades of institutional disruption, with air traffic management and regulatory capacity forming important parts of efforts to strengthen the country’s aviation sector.

Hassan said Somalia’s participation in the Doha meeting would help deepen regional cooperation and allow aviation authorities to address shared operational and security challenges.

The two-day meeting is hosted by Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority in cooperation with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Middle East Regional Office. Officials from regional and other countries, alongside international and regional organisations, are attending.

Discussions include aviation safety, air navigation, cybersecurity, environmental protection, air transport facilitation and regional cooperation. Delegates are also examining implementation of the Middle East Aviation Safety Programme and challenges posed by unmanned aircraft.

The talks come as aviation authorities face growing pressure to protect increasingly digital air traffic systems, maintain safe flight operations and coordinate responses to emerging security threats.

Stronger regional cooperation could support continued improvements in air traffic management for Somalia, and help reinforce confidence in the country’s aviation oversight as it seeks a greater role in international air transport.