Hiiraan Online
Wednesday, February 03, 2016
MOGADISHU (HOL) – Most of the flights bound for Mogadishu were cancelled Wednesday one day after a passenger plane made an emergency landing as a result of a blast which opened a gaping hole on the plane’s side, officials said.
The Daallo airlines flight which was heading to Djibouti was forced to turn back to Mogadishu airport after a mysterious blast went off inside the plane mid-air, with reports suggested that one passenger
sucked out of the plane.
According to aviation officials, Turkish airlines which made three flights each week is among dozens of airlines that cancelled their flights to Mogadishu.
No comment could be reached from airline officials on the development, however, it comes at a time Somali aviation officials continue an investigation into the cause of the blast.
Meanwhile, a new info emerged that Tuesday’s Daallo airlines’ was carrying 74 passengers who had to re-book their Djibouti flight with Daallo airlines after their Turkish airlines flights they booked was
unexpectedly cancelled without prior notice.
Turkish Airlines and the Turkish government authorities haven’t so far commented on the reason behind the last minute cancellation of the flight.
However, it raised suspicion that the Turkish government which might have received a security alert before the blast in the plane was not willing to share it with the Somali government.
Turkey is a major ally for Somalia as it became the first foreign administrations to resume formal diplomatic relations with Somalia after the civil war. Turkish airline also became the first international airline to resume international flights from Mogadishu.