By: Latifa Yusuf Masai
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – For the first time ever an aircraft has made a night landing at the Egal international airport in Hargeisa the Somaliland capital.
According to the Somaliland ministry of aviation and air transport Sadam Mohamed Ahmed the landing was made possible after solar powered lights were put in place at the entire length of the 3.7km runway at the Egal international airport.
“The lighting system was approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization-ICAO which termed it as apt and to world standards” said Sadam Mohamed.
The night flight testing that was undertaken in an A.N30 airplane that took off from the airport at around 10pm on Tuesday night and landed back at 10.20pm after overflying the city was termed as successful by the flight director at the aviation ministry Eng Saeed Mahdi Ileeye ‘sakiire’ who was aboard.
This new development shall facilitate ease of transportation for in and out bound passengers who had in the past only been able to travel during day time since the airport did not have runway lighting to facilitate flights at night.
Both the Egal and Berbera airports have in the recent past seen massive upgrading under a multi-million funding from the Kuwait and Somaliland governments
