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New Mogadishu International Airport (planned)
New Mogadishu International Airport is a second airport for the capital, planned on about 20 square kilometres near Maaxaay (El Maan), 30 to 36 km north-east of the city. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud laid its foundation stone on 29 June 2025. Phase I plans two 4,000-metre runways for 5 million passengers a year, with costs reported at $643 million to $800 million.
Why a second airport
Aden Adde International Airport sits inside Mogadishu with no room left to grow, and traffic rose sharply in the early 2020s as airlines added routes and more Somalis abroad travelled home (Wikipedia, New Mogadishu International Airport). The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) says the new airport will meet growing passenger and cargo demand "as Aden Adde International Airport reaches its operational limits" (UNOPS, 3 February 2026).
The site
The airport is planned on a site of about 20 square kilometres in the Maaxaay area, which UNOPS puts about 30 km north of Mogadishu and which the federal government has allocated and protected (UNOPS). Wikipedia places it near the coastal village of Haawaay, also known as El Maan, about 36 km north-east of the city, in Warsheekh district of Middle Shabelle (Wikipedia).
What is planned
- Phase I: two parallel runways, each 4,000 metres long and 60 metres wide, able to take wide-body aircraft, with room for a third and fourth later (Wikipedia).
- Capacity in Phase I: 5 million passengers, 130,000 aircraft movements and 100,000 tonnes of cargo a year (same source).
- Jobs: officials have said up to 10,000 young Somalis could work in airport and aviation roles (same source).
- Cost: reported at about $643 million (The EastAfrican; Somali Guardian) and by Garowe Online at about $800 million (Garowe Online).
- Who builds it: Wikipedia names the New Mogadishu Development Corporation working in a public-private partnership with Turkish firms (Wikipedia; NMDC project page). It is linked to a planned "Gateway Complex" for cargo and port access (Mogadishu24).
Timeline
- June 2024: the federal government announced it would build a new airport for the capital (Hiiraan Online, June 2024).
- 29 June 2025: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud laid the foundation stone at the site in Warsheekh district (SONNA; Hiiraan Online, June 2025).
- 3 February 2026: the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation held the kick-off meeting for the master plan, feasibility study, preliminary engineering design and environmental and social impact assessment. The work is funded by the World Bank's Somalia–Horn of Africa Infrastructure Integration Project (SHIIP), with UNOPS as project manager and technical compliance partner (UNOPS).
- 2029: the date Wikipedia gives for completing Phase I (Wikipedia).
Related
Sources
- Wikipedia, New Mogadishu International Airport · en.wikipedia.org
- UNOPS, 3 February 2026 · content.unops.org
- The EastAfrican · theeastafrican.co.ke
- Somali Guardian · somaliguardian.com
- Garowe Online · garoweonline.com
- NMDC project page · nmdcinvest.com
- Mogadishu24 · mogadishu24.com
- Hiiraan Online, June 2024 · hiiraan.com
- SONNA · sonna.so
- Hiiraan Online, June 2025 · hiiraan.com
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- Egal International Airport, Hargeisa (HGA)Hargeisa's Egal International Airport (HGA/HCMH): from the 1954 RAF field to the 2013 runway extension, wind power, airlines, cargo and traffic figures.
- Berbera International Airport (BBO)Berbera International Airport (BBO/HCMI): the Soviet-built 4 km runway, NASA Space Shuttle years, the 2015 terminal and the 2021 UAE-funded reopening.
- Bosaso Airport (Bender Qassim International, BSA)Bosaso's Bender Qassim International Airport (BSA/HCMF): 1980s strip, the 2008 Lootah deal, the 2014–2016 rebuild, runways, and the reported UAE hub role.
- Kismayo Airport (KMU)Kismayo Airport (KMU/HCMK): the 1970s runway, the 2013 Jubaland handover, the military and UN compounds, and the airport's data, with sources.
- Garowe Airport (General Mohamed Abshir International, GGR)Garowe's General Mohamed Abshir International Airport (GGR/HCGR): opening in 2010, the Kuwait Fund runway project, name, flights and incidents.