In an interview with i24NEWS, Somaliland President, Mr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, announced that direct flights linking Hargeisa and Tel Aviv will commence, stating that this will be part of strengthening the new Israeli-Somaliland ties.
President Irro highlighted that Somaliland has been looking for ways to facilitate international travel, as the air system and certain processes of travels are still influenced by the Somali Federal Government.
Somaliland has long complained that people travelling to Hargeisa are often forced to go through other countries or face obstacles related to travel permits.
Therefore, Somaliland sees direct flights between Hargeisa and Tel Aviv as a way to connect directly with international friends.
He stated that these flights will make possible that people travelling to Somaliland will make a short stopover in Tel Aviv, and then directly land at Hargeisa, which can reduce dependence on other routes in the region.
It can facilitate the travels of business people, investors and other guests coming from countries that have relations with Somaliland including Israel and Taiwan.
Israeli-Somaliland relations have been greatly strengthened since Israel became the first country to officially recognize Somaliland in late 2025.
Since then, the two sides have discussed cooperation in the fields of agriculture, Water, health, security, technology, and investment.
Israel officials said that the two sides have had secret cooperation in various fields for a long time, and they want that the cooperation be taken to a new levels in terms of security, economy, and diplomacy.
