The information pertains to negotiations among the security entities of airports in the United States and Somalia related to air travel.
“Representatives from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are present in Mogadishu for the second consecutive day, conducting discussions with officials from Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority as well as the administration of Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.
TSA officials are currently reviewing and analyzing the security protocols at Mogadishu airport to facilitate the potential for future direct flights from Aden Adde International Airport to various airports in the United States.
Arrival in Mogadishu is their third trip in efforts to systematically assess security and safety systems of Aden Adde International Airport. Each time that team visited Somalia, they prepared various reports and submitted them to Civil Aviation Authority, highlighting current shortcomings that the airport had, accompanied with propositions over required improvements.
TSA works towards making Somali Airports but specifically the one in Mogadishu, meet international set security levels of airports.
Abdiweli Ibrahim Aden, the Deputy Director of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority, this was the result of a many years’ relationship between the two sides, which had seen their employees travel to the United States last month for training.
Their visit pertains to the potential collaboration on airport security, considering our nation’s ongoing development and expansion. This is analogous to the partnerships we maintain with various international organizations,” said Director Abdiweli.
U.S. Transportation Security Administration officials have been focused, since then, on strengthening the security at Aden Adde International Airport to meet international aviation safety standards. Particular focus is to upgrade equipment and the airport staff in relevant skills.
The main goal is to assess for the first time the biggest airport in our country, which is here in Mogadishu, the seat of government, and to collaborate on improving the competence of our staff and the airport’s security. It is a collaboration just like the many international collaborations we have,” said the Deputy Director of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority.
A specialist team from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, in its third visit to Mogadishu, continuously assessed the security and safety of the airport and the respective flights and made suggestions over the advancement of operational procedures. Last month, top officials of the management of Mogadishu airport were invited to the United States, where they were trained in airport operations and introduced to how airport security works, along with the modern equipment used. Although a date for direct flights between Somalia and the United States has not been set as yet, there is still hope that the flights will become a reality sometime in the near future.
Abdiweli Gar yare, Deputy Director of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority, when asked about the possible results of this move, said: “Honestly, this is the biggest hope we have, and I believe it will happen in the most practical way. The international community trusts us; as you know, in two days, direct flights to Egypt will begin, Turkey is already operating, Qatar is also involved, the UAE, Kenya, and similarly, we expect that direct flights will soon be available from Mogadishu and other regions to the United States and the rest of the world.”
The Work and Establishment of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
The U.S. TSA was established not long after the attacks on September 11, 2001, in which aircraft were hijacked and eventually crashed into locations in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Nearly 3,000 people died as a result of these attacks.
The TSA was formed to prevent such occurrences, and thousands were soon working to ensure the safety of the nation’s aviation systems.
The law that created TSA, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, was passed by the House of Representatives and signed into law on November 9, 2001.
The TSA also assists all countries that have direct flights to the U.S. with airport and flight safety due to the threat of terrorist attacks.
It is three decades since direct air travel from Mogadishu or Somalia to the United States, due to the collapse of Somalia and continuous security concerns. However, the government of Somalia is hopeful now that improved security at the capital and modern approaches toward airport security will attract direct flights from Mogadishu to the West in the near future.
