Aden Adde International Airport

"HCMM" redirects here. For other uses, see HCMM (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Aden International Airport.
Aden Adde International Airport
Garoonka Caalamiga Ee Aadan Cadde
مطار آدم عدي الدولي
IATA: MGQ – ICAO: HCMM
Summary
Airport type Public
Serves Mogadishu, Somalia
Hub for Jubba Airways, Somali Airlines
Elevation AMSL 29 ft / 9 m
Coordinates 02°00′49″N 045°18′17″E / 2.01361°N 45.30472°E / 2.01361; 45.30472Coordinates: 02°00′49″N 045°18′17″E / 2.01361°N 45.30472°E / 2.01361; 45.30472
Website mogadishuairport.com
Map
MGQ

Location of airport in Somalia

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
05/23 10,895[1] 3,590 Asphalt

Aden Adde International Airport (Somali: Garoonka Caalamiga Ee Aadan Cadde, Arabic: مطار آدم عدي الدولي‎‎) (IATA: MGQ, ICAO: HCMM), Aden Abdulle International Airport, formerly known as Mogadishu International Airport, is an international airport serving Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. It is named after Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, the first President of Somalia.

Originally a modest-sized airport, the facility grew considerably in size in the post-independence period after numerous successive renovation projects. With the outbreak of the civil war in 1991, Aden Adde International's flight services experienced routine disruptions. However, with the security situation in Mogadishu greatly improved in the late 2010–2011 period, large-scale rehabilitation of the grounds' infrastructure and services once again resumed. By early 2013, the airport had restored most of its facilities and introduced several new features, with further upgrades in the works.

History

Mogadishu airport was established in 1928 with the name Petrella-Mogadiscio aeroporto, the first such facility to be opened in the Horn of Africa. It served as the main military airport for Italian Somaliland. In the mid-1930s, the airport began offering civilian and commercial flights. A regular Asmara-Assab-Mogadishu commercial route was started in 1935, with an Ala Littoria Caproni 133 providing 13-hour flights from the Mogadishu airport to Italian Eritrea. The aircraft had a maximal capacity of 18 passengers, which at the time was a record.

In 1936, Ala Littoria launched an intercontinental connection between Mogadishu-Asmara-Khartoum-Tripoli and Rome. The voyage lasted four days and was one of the first long range flights in the world.[2]

During the post-independence period, Mogadishu International Airport offered flights to numerous global destinations.[3] In the mid-1960s, the airport was enlarged to accommodate more international carriers, with the state-owned Somali Airlines providing regular trips to all major cities.[4] By 1969, the airport's many landing grounds could also host small jets and DC 6B-type aircraft.[3]

In the 1970s, Somalia's then ruling socialist government enlisted its Soviet allies for major renovations to the ground's facilities. The airport's capacity to cater to both civilian and military needs was in the process significantly enlarged.[5]

The Somali Air Corps (SAC) also used the airport at this time, and had an airlift wing stationed in the capital. The SAC maintained a military academy at the airport that was used by all air force members.

In the 1980s, the Somali federal government recruited the U.S. Navy, its new Cold War partner, to further enlarge the Mogadishu airport. The project included the construction of a modern control tower equipped with state-of-the-art navigational technology.[6] The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SOMCAA), which then regulated the national aviation industry, also signed a contract with the Italian firm Selenia worth an estimated 17 billion Italian lire ($2.5 million). The agreement stipulated that the company would build a second terminal for international routes as well as a new control tower. The Italian firm was also tasked with supplying air traffic control equipment.[7]

With the collapse of the Siad Barre regime and the ensuing civil war, the airport's ongoing renovations came to a halt. Aviation operations also routinely experienced disruptions and the airport's grounds incurred significant damage. On 3 August 2006, African Express Airways became the first international airline to resume regular flights to Mogadishu International Airport.[8]

On 8 June 2007, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) announced that the airport would be renamed in honor of the first President of Somalia, Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, who had died earlier in the day.

The following year, due to security risks brought on by the resumption of fighting in the wake of the Ethiopian intervention, most civilian aircraft opted to land and depart from K50 Airport, situated about 50 km from Mogadishu in Lower Shabelle.[9] However, in the late 2010 period, the security situation in Mogadishu had significantly improved, with the federal government eventually managing to assume full control of the capital by August of the following year.[10]

On 20 August 2012, the Aden Adde International Airport hosted the swearing in ceremony for many legislators in the nation's new Federal Parliament. The event also saw the appointment of General Muse Hassan Sheikh Sayid Abdulle as interim President and Parliamentary Speaker.[11][12]

In 2013, the International Civil Aviation Organization officially removed the airport from its Zone 5 list of airports deemed security risks.[13]

In June 2014, Minister of Air Transportation and Civil Aviation Said Jama Qorshel announced that additional up-to-date technology earmarked for the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu would be delivered.[14]

Renovations

SKA Air and Logistics

Old terminal building

In late 2010, SKA Air and Logistics, a Dubai-based aviation firm that specializes in conflict zones, was contracted by the Transitional Federal Government to manage operations over a period of ten years at the re-opened Aden Adde International Airport. With concurrent activities in Iraq and Afghanistan, among other complex areas, the company was assigned the task of running security screening, passenger security and terminals.[15][16] The Ministry of Transport officially announced the partnership in May 2011, with the domestically registered firm SKA-Somalia starting operations in July of the year.[17]

Among its first initiatives, worth an estimated $6 million, SKA invested in new airport equipment and expanded support services by hiring, training and equipping 200 local workers to meet international airport standards. The company also assisted in comprehensive infrastructure renovations, restored a dependable supply of electricity, revamped the baggage handling facilities as well as the arrival and departure lounges, put into place electronic check-in systems, and firmed up on security and work-flow. Additionally, SKA connected the grounds' Somali Civil Aviation and Meteorological Agency (SCAMA) and immigration, customs, commercial airlines and Somali Police Force officials to the internet.[17] By January 2013, the firm had introduced shuttle buses to ferry travelers to and from the passenger terminal.[18] It also provided consultancy on support services in other airports around the country, and invested in logistical redevelopment solutions.[17]

Turkey

In December 2011, the Turkish government unveiled plans to further modernize the airport as part of Turkey's broader engagement in the local post-conflict reconstruction process. Among the scheduled renovations are new systems and infrastructure, including a modern control tower to monitor the airspace.[19]

In September 2013, the Turkish company Favori LLC began operations at the airport. The firm announced plans to renovate the aviation building and construct a new one, as well as upgrade other modern service structures. A $10 million project, it will increase the airport's existing 15 aircraft capacity to 60.[20]

In April 2014, Prime Minister of Somalia Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed laid the foundation stone for a new national Aviation Training Academy at the Aden Adde International Airport. The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Air and Land Transport Said Qorshel and his deputy, the Minister of Finance Hussein Abdi Halane, the Turkish Ambassador, and the airport's general manager. Ahmed indicated that the new institution would serve to enhance the capacity of aviation personnel working in Somalia's airports, and would focus training within the country. Additionally, Ahmed visited the site of a modern terminal that was concurrently being built at the Aden Adde International Airport, with funding provided by the Turkish Favori aviation firm. According to Minister Qorshel, construction of the new terminal was scheduled to take six months, and is expected to improve the airport's functionality and operations. He added that his Ministry is also slated to establish other airports on the capital's outskirts. This in turn would serve to reduce congestion at the Aden Adde International Airport, which would then be exclusively used by large aircraft.[21]

In November 2014, Favori officials announced that the modernization of the airport was almost finished, and is slated to be completed in 2015. Among the facilities being renovated are transit hubs and runways.[22]

In January 2015, President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan officially inaugurated the Aden Adde International Airport's new terminal. The facility was built by Kozuva, a private Turkish construction firm.[23][24] Featuring modern passenger facilities and a glass façade, it will enable the airport to double its number of daily commercial flights to 60, with a throughput of 1,000 passengers per hour.[25] With the support of Turkish investment, the airport now holds lounges & VIP sections.

Additionally, a new landslide hotel within the airport is slated to be completed by the end of the year.[25]

IOM

In January 2013, a new airport immigration building was opened. With assistance provided by Japan through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), it features offices, training facilities, and staff accommodation for early shift workers.[26]

Additionally, the IOM has helped firm up on airport security by training 84 civil aviation, immigration, finance and customs department officers on proper border management and immigration protocol. It also installed its patented Personal Registration and Identification System at both Aden Adde and the capital's seaport.[26]

Airlines and destinations

As of June 2014, the largest services using Aden Adde International Airport include the Somali-owned private carriers Daallo Airlines, Jubba Airways and African Express Airways, in addition to UN charter planes,[15] and Turkish Airlines.[19] The airport also offers flights to other Somali cities such as Galkayo, Berbera and Hargeisa, as well as international destinations like Djibouti, Jeddah,[27] and Istanbul.[19]

According to Favori, there were 439,879 domestic and international passengers at the airport in 2014, an increase of 319,925 passengers from the previous year.[28] As of November 2014, the airport accommodates more than 40 flights every day, up from 3 flights in 2011.[29]

AirlinesDestinations
African Express Airways Berbera, Galkayo, Hargeisa, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta[30]
Daallo Airlines Djibouti, Dubai–International, Hargeisa, Jeddah, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta[31]
Felix Airways Hargeisa, Sanaa (All suspended)[32]
Fly-SAX Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta[33]
Jubba Airways Adado, Beledweyne, Djibouti, Dubai–International, Galkayo, Guriel, Hargeisa, Jeddah, Kismayo, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta
Turkish Airlines Djibouti, Istanbul–Ataturk
Air Djibouti Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport[34]

Accidents and incidents

Date Location Aircraft Tail number Aircraft damage Fatalities Description Refs
6 May 1970 Mogadishu Viscount 700 6O-AAJ W/O 5/30 The aircraft was on final approach to Mogadishu International Airport when control was lost due to a fire that erupted in the cargo hold. Upon a nose-down landing, the nosegear collapsed and the airplane continued rolling on her nose until it came to rest. The fire intensified, eventually engulfing the fuselage and destroying it completely. [35]
13 October 1977 Mogadishu Boeing 737–230 Adv D-ABCE Minor 0/86 Lufthansa Flight 181, a Lufthansa Boeing 737–230 Adv aircraft named "Landshut", was hijacked by four members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (P.F.L.P.). On 18 October, in a move carefully coordinated with the Barre administration, the besieged aircraft was stormed by the West German counter-terrorism group GSG 9. All 86 passengers were rescued in the operation, which was codenamed "Feuerzauber" ("Fire Magic"). [36]
19 August 2011 Mogadishu Boeing 737 Next Generation TC-JFL Minor 0/6 The wing of a Turkish Airlines aircraft carrying a Turkish government delegation, businessmen, popular artists and journalists scraped the runway upon landing. The plane was in unfit condition to continue the flight. All passengers were unhurt. [37]
9 August 2013 Mogadishu Antonov An-12 1513 W/O 4/6 An Ethiopian Air Force An-12 aircraft transporting weapons burst into flames upon landing, killing four of the six crew members and injuring two. Investigations were subsequently launched to ascertain the exact cause of the crash. The airport runway was undamaged. [38][39]
12 October 2015 Mogadishu Airbus A300 SU-BMZ W/O 0/6 A Tristar Air Airbus A300 was carrying 40 tonnes of perishables on behalf of United Nations when the aircraft made several unsuccessful attempts to land, ran out of fuel and ditched in an unoccupied field. Two occupants received minor injuries. The aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair. [40]
2 February 2016 Mogadishu Airbus A321-100 SX-BHS W/O 1/81 Shortly after takeoff, a Daallo Airline Airbus A321 operating Daallo Airlines Flight 159 suffered an onboard explosion, with one passenger sucked out of the plane. Pilots were able to make an emergency landing. [41]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Aden Adde International Airport (MGQ)". World Airport Codes. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  2. ↑ Flavio Riccitelli (A.I.D.A.). "ALA LITTORIA S.A. (1934–1941)". Il Postalista. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  3. 1 2 Europa Publications Limited, The Middle East, (Europa Publications.: 1969), p.614.
  4. ↑ Unione zoologica italiana, Società italiana di anatomia, Università di Firenze. Istituto di Zoologia, Italian Journal of Zoology, Volume 74, (Istituto di Zoologia, Università di Firenze: 1966), p.342.
  5. ↑ Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Nigeria: bulletin on foreign affairs, Volume 10, Issue 9, (Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.: 1980), p.144.
  6. ↑ Colin Legum, Africa contemporary record: annual survey and documents, Volume 13, (Africana Publing Company: 1985), p.B-267.
  7. ↑ Africa Research, Ltd, Africa research bulletin: Economic series, Volumes 24–25, (Africa Research Ltd.: 1987), p.9302
  8. ↑ timesnews.co.ke – Kenya News
  9. ↑ Schmitz, Sebastain (2007). "By Ilyushin 18 to Mogadishu". Airways. 14 (7): 12–17. ISSN 1074-4320.
  10. ↑ Al-Shabaab ‘dug in like rats’
  11. ↑ "Office of the Somali Parliament". Office of the Somali Parliament. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  12. ↑ "Somalia: UN Envoy Says Inauguration of New Parliament in Somalia 'Historic Moment'". Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  13. ↑ "Rebuilding of Mogadishu Airport, Seaport Underway". VOA. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  14. ↑ "Federal government to assume the control of airspace". Goobjoog. 5 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  15. 1 2 SKA will run airport operations in Mogadishu
  16. ↑ US Company SKA takes control of Mogadishu Airport
  17. 1 2 3 "Somalia: SKA Effectively Manages Aden-Adde International Airport". Shabelle Media Network. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  18. ↑ Eng., Maalik (8 January 2013). "Somali travellers heap praise on SKA services at Mogadishu airport". Shabelle Media Network. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  19. 1 2 3 Turkish carrier to start direct Mogadishu flights in March
  20. ↑ "Somali'ye Türk firma havalimanı yapacak". Aksam. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  21. ↑ "SOMALIA: H.E Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed lays foundation stone for the Aviation Training Academy at Aden Adde Airport". Raxanreeb. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  22. ↑ "Somalia: construction of Mogadishu airport due to completion". Goobjoog. 22 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  23. ↑ "Turkish president inaugurates hospital in Somalia". World Bulletin. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  24. ↑ "Press Release: Erdogan's Somalia Visit". Goobjoog. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  25. 1 2 "Focus on Somalia". Air Transport. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  26. 1 2 "Airport immigration transferred to Somali government control". Sabahi. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  27. ↑ Dubai’s SKA signs deal to manage Mogadishu airport
  28. ↑ "Mogadishu Aden Ade international Airport Flights double". Somalicurrent. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  29. ↑ "Mogadishu slowly returning to glory". Nile Broadcasting Station. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  30. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
  31. ↑
  32. ↑ Ghattas, Abir. "Yemen's No Fly Zone: Thousands of Yemenis are Stranded Abroad". Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  33. ↑
  34. ↑
  35. ↑ Accident description for 6O-AAJ at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2 February 2012.
  36. ↑ Davies, Barry. Fire Magic – Hijack at Mogadishu Bloomsbury Publishing, 1994. ISBN 978-0-7475-1921-8.
  37. ↑ "Turkish delegation plane scraps tarmac at Somalia". AP. 19 August 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  38. ↑ ASN Aircraft accident Antonov 12 09 AUG 2013
  39. ↑ AU Special Representative condoles with Ethiopia on the loss of lives following crash landing of its Air Force Plane in Mogadishu
  40. ↑ Accident: Tristar A30B at Mogadishu on Oct 12th 2015
  41. ↑ "Somalia: Plane makes emergency landing in Mogadishu after 'explosion' in mid-flight". Horseed Media. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.

External links


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