by Abdourahman Sahal, abdourahman.sahal@alleastafrica.com
DJIBOUTI – The first flight of the Djibouti national carrier “Air Djibouti” landed at the Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu on Tuesday, after more than 25 years of absence, reports the Djiboutian news Agency (ADI).
Somali officials who were present during the landing of the Djiboutian aircraft expressed their wish to welcome more international airlines to Mogadishu.
This will allow, they said, to link the country with the rest of the world.
Air Djibouti, founded in 1963, is one of the oldest on the African continent. It ceased operations in 1990 after a twenty-seven years adventure.
In August last year, the Djibouti national company re-launched its activities by deploying a Boeing 737-400, its first passenger airliner.
The president of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, who presided over the inauguration ceremony of Air Djibouti, underlined that the restart of the activities of this company is synonymous with a new era for the Djiboutian air transport sector.
“The acquisition of our own airline was a prerequisite for the much-changed evolution of our country into an international hub,” said President Guelleh.
According to Air Djibouti’s General Manager Aboubaker Omar Hadi, the company expects to expand its traffic over the next five years.
Mr. Hadi said that “Air Djibouti aims to transport 200,000 passengers a year and 150,000 tons of cargo freight”.
Air Djibouti is now the second airline after Turkish Airlines which offers international flights to Mogadishu.
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