The entire process of controlling Somalia's skies from Nairobi has officially come to an end on Monday after Somalia and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) jointly agreed to close the office in Nairobi. ICAO has been controlling Somalia's airspace for over 25 years since the fall of the country's central in 1990. Somalia's minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Abdullahi Salad said ICAO's office in Nairobi formally stopped its function to control of Somalia's airspace from Kenya.

Somalia’s airspace control office in Nairobi which had been operating more than 25 years, will stop its function. All function of airspace control will take place in Mogadishu,” said Salad.

The minister said that the move represents a significant step towards the development of the country.

"It is a great honor for us to witness this historic day that we are fully moving the control and management of our airspace to the city,” the minister said.

In March, Somali government relocated 34 air control personnel who were working in Nairobi to operate in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

The U.N.'s aviation agency began controlling air traffic over Somalia after the county descended into civil war. Due to security concerns, the organization worked from Kenya until 2017 when the government of Somalia took the control of the airspace from ICAO.

 

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. Its headquarters are located in Montreal, Quebec region, Canada.