The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched a pilot of its Billing & Settlement Plan (BSP) in Somalia, paving the way for a full launch of the service at the end of May 2026, the global airline body said in a statement from Addis Ababa on April 30.

Four travel agents and several airlines serving the country, including Ethiopian Airlines, are participating in the pilot. The system will open to all airlines and more than 300 travel agents operating in the country from May 2026.

The launch supports the Somali government's ambition to grow its aviation sector and expand global connectivity, IATA said.

The BSP is a worldwide system that facilitates financial transactions between IATA-accredited passenger sales agents and airlines, tracking and managing air ticket sales and associated financial flows between more than 400 airlines and tens of thousands of agents globally.

In 2025, the BSP processed more than 700mn transactions across more than 180 countries, totalling $242bn.

"Somalia stands at a pivotal moment of transformation in its aviation sector. Growing connectivity regionally and globally underpins our ambition to revitalise the economy of Somalia and position Mogadishu as a transport hub on the Horn of Africa," Somalia's Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Farah Nuh said.

"Despite decades of adversity, the federal government has made commendable strides in rebuilding and modernising every aspect of its civil aviation system. This extends to putting in place financial systems to support the growth of air transport, which the opening of the BSP will provide," the minister added.

IATA Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East Kamil Alawadhi said the move formed part of the body's Focus Africa initiative.

"Accelerating the implementation of secure, effective and cost-efficient financial services is a key pillar of IATA's Focus Africa initiative," Alawadhi said.

Somalia's aviation sector has been rebuilding from decades of conflict and institutional collapse, with the federal government in Mogadishu progressively re-establishing civil aviation oversight, airport operations and airspace management.

The country has a substantial global diaspora estimated at well over 2mn, with major communities in the United Kingdom, United States, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Canada, the UAE and Kenya. Diaspora travel and remittance flows have driven steady growth in air transport demand.

Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport is currently served by carriers including Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, flydubai, Qatar Airways, Kenya Airways and African Express Airways. Hargeisa's Egal International Airport in Somaliland operates as a separate regional hub.

Somalia is a participant in IATA's Focus Africa initiative, launched in 2023 to accelerate the development of the African aviation sector and address structural barriers including funds repatriation, financial transactions and regulatory harmonisation.