Minnesota has the largest Somali community in North America. Trips from Minneapolis–St Paul (MSP) to Mogadishu usually involve two connections.
From MSP, travellers typically fly first to a large US or European gateway — such as Chicago O'Hare, New York JFK, Washington Dulles or Amsterdam — and connect there to a long-haul airline that serves Mogadishu.
The main ways to fly
There are no non-stop flights from Minneapolis to Mogadishu. Almost everyone connects once at one of these hubs:
- Via Istanbul (IST) — Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul from Chicago O'Hare and several other US gateways. Final leg to Mogadishu with Turkish Airlines, about 6½ hours. Turkish Airlines sells one ticket all the way to Mogadishu, so your bag is checked through.
- Via Doha (DOH) — Qatar Airways flies to Doha from Chicago O'Hare and other US gateways. Final leg to Mogadishu with Qatar Airways, about 4½ hours. Qatar Airways' Hamad International is an easy, single-terminal connection.
- Via Dubai (DXB) — Emirates flies to Dubai from Chicago O'Hare and other US gateways. Final leg to Mogadishu with flydubai, about 4¼ hours. flydubai departs from Dubai Terminal 2 — if you arrive with Emirates on a through ticket, transfer is handled for you; on separate tickets allow plenty of time to change terminals.
- Via Addis Ababa (ADD) — Ethiopian Airlines flies to Addis Ababa from Washington Dulles and other US gateways. Final leg to Mogadishu with Ethiopian Airlines, about 2¼ hours. Often the cheapest one-stop option, with a short final leg.
Schedules and routes change every season, so confirm the current timetable with the airline before booking. You can see which airlines are flying into Mogadishu today on our live arrivals board and routes pages.
Booking tips
- Book one ticket to MGQ when you can. A single booking protects you if the first flight is late and your bags are checked all the way through.
- Book early for Eid and summer. Fares rise sharply before Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and the July–August school holidays, when many families travel home.
- Check the baggage allowance on every leg. The smallest allowance on your trip is the one that counts if a leg is on a separate ticket.
- Leave a generous connection in the US gateway if your MSP flight is on a separate ticket.
- Total journey time is often 22–30 hours, so consider an overnight stop on the way.
Documents
- Travelling on a foreign passport? Apply for your Somalia eTAS on etas.gov.so before you fly and carry a printed copy.
- Travelling on a Somali passport? It must be valid; no eTAS is needed.
- Check whether your connecting country needs a transit visa if you have to leave the airport.
On arrival
Read our arrival guide for immigration, baggage and pickup, and use the time-difference clock to tell family when you will land.
Frequently asked questions
How do I fly from Minneapolis to Mogadishu?
Fly from MSP to a large gateway such as Chicago, New York or Washington, connect to Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates or Ethiopian, then take the final leg to Mogadishu from their hub.
How many stops are there from Minneapolis to Mogadishu?
Usually two: one in the US or Europe and one at a hub such as Istanbul, Doha, Dubai or Addis Ababa.