Somalia eases flights ban to allow citizens return home

Somali government has eased the international flights ban to allow Somalis from different parts of the world to return home as many were left stranded following the 15 days suspension which came to effect Thursday.

A statement from the Ministry of Transport and Aviation noted the government had agreed to a two days window to allow all those traveling home to move in.

Ethiopian Airlines flight number ETH372 en route to Hargeisa in Somaliland landed Saturday afternoon after holding above Jigjiga (Ethiopia) for more than an hour as it awaited clearance from Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA).

Somalia announced last week 15 days ban on all flights into the country in the wake of the novel corona virus which has swept across the world. Somalia has since recorded only one case of the disease.

SCAA turned back a FlyDubai flight Friday after it attempted to land in Hargeisa in violation of the ban.
The ban will resume in two days’ time according to the government.