HiLiN

Somalia’s aviation sector has become a critical yet fragile platform for asserting state authority in a fragmented political landscape. Despite the federal government’s formal control over the airspace, regional resistance, opposition contestation, and inadequate financial and technical resources continue to undermine effective governance. This brief examines how the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has been instrumentalized as both a symbol and a tool of sovereignty. It argues that aviation governance is deeply politicized, shaped by revenue disputes, geopolitical tensions, and institutional gaps. To restore legitimacy and build regulatory coherence, the brief recommends reforms that depoliticize airspace control, enhance technical capacity, and strengthen coordination between federal and regional actors.