- Somaliland barred airlines from accepting Somalia BSP tickets for departures from Berbera and Hargeisa.
- The restriction includes tickets issued before it took effect and return tickets.
- Somaliland has governed itself since 1991 but is claimed by Somalia.
- Somalia relaunched its IATA BSP on 25 October 2026.
- Airlines serving Somaliland include Ethiopian Airlines and flydubai.
Somaliland’s Civil Aviation and Airports Development Ministry has barred airlines from accepting tickets issued through Somalia’s recently restored IATA Billing and Settlement Plan for departures from the territory. The restriction covers tickets issued before it took effect and includes return tickets. Airlines must use ticketing channels and travel agents licensed by Somaliland’s Department of Civil Aviation Regulation and Air Transport.
The move adds a dimension to the long-running dispute between Somaliland and Somalia over sovereignty and aviation administration. Somaliland has governed itself since 1991 but is claimed by Somalia. In November 2025 Somaliland announced it does not accept visas issued by Somalia and issues its own visas on arrival at Hargeisa and Berbera.
The directive follows Somalia’s relaunch of its BSP revealed by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on 25 October 2026. Somalia’s civil aviation director-general noted the system would support trade and tourism and strengthen cooperation with international airlines. IATA began a BSP pilot in Somalia on 30 April 2026. Airlines serving Somaliland include Ethiopian Airlines, flydubai, Daallo Airlines, Jubba Airways, Premier Airlines, Air Djibouti and Blue Sky Airlines.
