Hargeisa Airport: A Guide to Egal International (HGA)
Hargeisa airport, officially Egal International, is where most visitors first set foot in Somaliland. Here is where it is, how it grew, who flies there now, and what to expect when you land.
TRAVEL · PRACTICAL GUIDE
For most travellers, Somaliland begins on a runway at the edge of its capital. The airport is the main entry and exit point for flights to and from Somaliland. It lies close to town. This guide covers the airport itself. For routes and connections from abroad, read How to Get to Somaliland.
Hargeisa airport at a glance
Here are the key facts in one place.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Official name | Egal International Airport |
| Codes | IATA HGA, ICAO HCMH |
| Location | In the south of Hargeisa |
| Elevation | About 1,364 m |
| Runway | One asphalt runway, 3,700 m long |
| Operator | Somaliland Civil Aviation and Airports Authority |
| Entry | Visa on arrival for most visitors |
Where the airport is
The airport sits in the south of Hargeisa, so you are never far from the city. The humanitarian Logistics Cluster puts it about 1 km from Hargeisa. In practice, that means a short taxi ride to most hotels.
It is also high up: the airfield lies about 1,364 m above sea level.
A short history of Hargeisa airport
The airport began as a military base in the 1950s. After the civil war, it mainly served humanitarian flights. Passenger and cargo traffic then grew strongly from the mid-2000s.
Its name honours Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal. Egal was prime minister of the State of Somaliland in 1960, and prime minister of Somalia from 1967 to 1969. From 1993 until his death in 2002, he was Somaliland’s president.
The biggest modern upgrade came in 2012 and 2013. The Kuwait Fund, the Somaliland government and USAID paid for the refurbishment. It renewed 2.4 km of runway, enlarged the arrival and departure terminals, and added five wind turbines. The Kuwait Fund’s share was $10 million, and the airport reopened on 17 August 2013. Today, the civil aviation authority lists a 3,700 m runway.
More change is planned. In September 2025, Somaliland signed a $70 million deal with International Maharat Investment Company, a Dubai-based developer. It covers runway extensions, new terminals, and better security and navigation systems. Construction was due to start in early 2026. Some reports have questioned the firm’s background, while officials say the deal will bring major benefits. By early November 2026, we had found no report that construction had begun.
Airlines at Hargeisa airport in October 2026
Routes change often, so treat this as a snapshot. It combines airline websites, aviation news and schedule data from mid-October 2026.
| Airline | Non-stop to | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Ethiopian Airlines | Addis Ababa | Ethiopian route page, accessed 28 Oct 2026 |
| flydubai | Dubai | flydubai, fares for 31 Oct 2026 |
| Daallo Airlines | Dubai, Jeddah, Mogadishu | ch-aviation, 3 Mar 2026; FlightConnections, 17 Oct 2026 |
| Air Djibouti | Djibouti, Mogadishu | FlightConnections, 17 Oct 2026 |
| Jubba Airways | Mogadishu, Djibouti, Nairobi, Jeddah (seasonal) and other Somali cities | FlightConnections, 17 Oct 2026 |
Daallo Airlines is based in Hargeisa. Jubba Airways has been rebuilding after a suspension. In October 2026, FTL Somalia reported that it had restarted Hargeisa flights.
Ethiopian Airlines connects Hargeisa with its wider network through Addis Ababa, while flydubai does the same through Dubai. On the freight side, the cargo airline SolitAir added Hargeisa to its network in September 2026.
What about Israel? In June 2026, Somaliland’s president said direct Hargeisa–Tel Aviv flights would begin soon. No airline or start date had been announced then, and we found no published schedule by early November 2026.
Arriving at Hargeisa airport
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and governs itself. Somalia regards it as part of its territory. Israel (December 2025) is so far the only UN member state to recognise it.
That matters at the immigration desk. The UK notes that an airline may ask to see Somalia’s eVisa before you board. However, it will not be valid for entry at Hargeisa, where you buy a one-month visa on arrival instead. For costs, documents and the latest rules, read our Somaliland visa guide.
Two customs points are worth knowing. You must declare cash of $10,000 or more. Officials also regularly search bags at Hargeisa airport for khat. Taking it out of the country is an offence.
Getting into town
The civil aviation authority lists taxis and car hire at the airport. Alternatively, ask your hotel when you book whether it can meet you on arrival.
Once in the city, taxis and the local ride-hailing app are the easy ways to move around. Our guide to getting around Somaliland explains fares and how they work. You will also want local cash and a phone line early on. For both, see our guides to money in Somaliland and buying a SIM card.
Facilities at the airport
The civil aviation authority lists a bank, medical facilities and VIP arrival and departure services. Restaurants are available nearby. Wikipedia adds cafés, a gift shop, currency exchange and prayer rooms.
The authority also publishes its hours. Those for immigration, customs and handling run from 03:15 to 15:00 UTC. That is 06:15 to 18:00 local time.
What about Berbera Airport?
On the coast, Berbera has one of Africa’s longest runways, at 4,140 m. The Soviet Union built it in the 1970s, and NASA later rented it as an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle. After a renovation the UAE announced in 2019, it opened to international passengers on 20 November 2021, with Ethiopian Airlines flights.
However, we could not find any current scheduled passenger flights there. When we checked on 28 October 2026, a flight-schedule site listed no direct flights from Berbera. So for now, Hargeisa airport remains the way in. Berbera is about 160 km away by road.
Hargeisa airport is the start of the journey, not the destination. Once you have landed, the city is close by, so begin with our Hargeisa travel guide.
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Sources (20)
- Hargeisa: mobility and accessibility (COI Report – Somalia: Country Focus, section 2.2.2), European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), May 2025, citing Ahmed Nur Ali (June 2024).
- Egal International Airport, Somaliland Civil Aviation and Airports Authority (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Hargeisa Airport, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Egal International Airport (Somaliland), Logistics Capacity Assessment 2.2.2, Logistics Cluster (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Somaliland connected again with airport reopening, Aviation Week, 17 August 2013.
- Somaliland boosts prospects with redeveloped airports, Ian Sheppard, AIN, 16 September 2013.
- Somaliland secures $70 million deal to transform Hargeisa airport into regional hub, Maxamuud Walaaleeye, The Horn Tribune, 17 September 2025.
- Who controls the skies? Somaliland says it’s taking Somalia to court, Geeska News Desk, 10 March 2026.
- Flights from Hargeisa to Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Flights from Somalia, flydubai (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Somalia’s Puntland revokes Daallo Airlines’ flight permit, ch-aviation, 3 March 2026.
- Flights to Hargeisa (HGA), FlightConnections (data updated 17 October 2026; accessed 28 October 2026).
- Jubba Airways resumes flights to Hargeisa after months-long suspension, FTL Somalia, 18 October 2026.
- SolitAir adds new African routes, Air Cargo News, 1 September 2026.
- Somaliland President says direct Tel Aviv–Hargeisa flights to begin soon, Mohamed Duale, Horn Diplomat, 19 June 2026.
- Somalia travel advice: entry requirements, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (updated 4 June 2026; accessed 28 October 2026).
- Berbera Airport, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Direct flights from Berbera (BBO), FlightsFrom (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Berbera, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
Last checked 6 November 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Tell us.
