Connecting flights at Mogadishu airport

Mogadishu is the hub for domestic flights in Somalia, so many travellers land at MGQ from Istanbul, Doha, Dubai, Addis Ababa or Nairobi and continue to another Somali city. How easy that is depends mostly on your ticket.

One ticket or two?

• Separate tickets (the most common case): you enter Somalia in Mogadishu. Pass immigration, collect your bags, go through customs, then check in again for the domestic flight like any departing passenger.
• One ticket for the whole journey: ask the airline whether your bags are checked through to your final city and whether you must collect them in Mogadishu. Get the answer in writing if you can.
• If your first flight is late on separate tickets, the domestic airline does not have to wait or rebook you for free. Leave a generous gap.

How much time to leave

• On separate tickets, allow at least four hours between landing and the domestic departure, and more in Ramadan and before Eid.
• Domestic check-in closes earlier than you may expect; aim to be ready for check-in two hours before departure (see domestic flights).
• If the gap is very long or the domestic flight is the next day, stay overnight near the airport. Several hotels are inside or next to the airport zone.

Documents

• Foreign passport holders need an approved eTAS to enter in Mogadishu, even if they fly on the same day.
• Carry your passport for the domestic flight too.
• Hargeisa and other parts of Somaliland have their own entry procedures — check them before you book.

Bags and allowances

• Domestic baggage allowances are often lower than international ones. Excess weight is paid at check-in. Compare both on our airline pages.
• Keep medicines, documents, chargers and one change of clothes in your hand luggage.

On the day

• Reconfirm the domestic flight the day before; schedules can change at short notice.
• Save both flights in My trip and check the departures board.
• See which cities have flights on our route map.