Somaliland Cancels the Flying Licence of Small Airline

Joseph Bonyo

19 May 2011

Nairobi — The Government of Somaliland has revoked the operating licence of a Kenyan airline, barely a month after it stopped flying to the semi-autonomous horn of Africa state.

The break-away region’s Ministry of Civil Aviation said Jetlink Airline’s operations had been terminated over what it termed as “spreading lies to cover failure.”

In a letter seen by the Daily Nation, the acting director-general of Somaliland Aviation, Mr Saeed Mahdi Eleye, said the revocation takes effect immediately.

“In this regard, your air permission for this country is revoked with immediate effect,” he said in the letter.

The letter is dated May 12, 2011, and copied to among others, Somaliland ambassador to Kenya.

Jetlink had earlier pulled out of Somaliland over what the company noted were operational issues.

The airline used to ply between Hargesia, the Somaliland capital, and Nairobi twice weekly.

Speaking to the Daily Nation recently, Jetlink managing director, Elly Aluvale, indicated low passenger numbers as well as insecurity in the region as part of reasons it pulled out of the route.

But Mr Eleye, in his letter, intimated that these were lies the airline was sending out to the media, having stopped operations due to stiff competition.

Jetlink, he added, did not inform the concerned authorities of its pull-out.

Another Kenyan airline, East African Safaris, withdrew from the route after it grounded its operations last year.

The airline resumed flights to Hergesia in a new management arrangement with Fly 540, a low-cost operator.

This now makes it the only airline on a route that is key to opening up Somaliland to East Africa and Comesa region trading blocs.

But even with the action from Hargesia, local airlines are facing increased pressure from ballooning costs and shrinking passenger numbers.

Already, operational costs are said to be on the rise in line with the global surge in the cost of fuel.

Hard economic times are also pushing more passengers to review their travel plans, only sticking to essential travel.

The airlines have signed independent bilateral trade agreements with Somaliland since it has no diplomatic relations with Kenya.

Somaliland seceded from Somalia in 1991 and has enjoyed a relative calm over the period.

It is, however, not yet recognised as an independent state by among others the United Nations.

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