Renovated Runway Enhances Safety and Economic Prospects at Baidoa’s Shati-Gaduud Airport

BAIDOA: Baidoa’s Shati-Gaduud Airport has seen significant improvements in its runway and taxiways, enhancing the safety of air travel for residents of Somalia’s Southwest State. The airport’s renovation has been crucial given the hazardous conditions of the road to Mogadishu, which has historically been the region’s primary connection to the Somali capital.

According to Somali National News Agency, the Director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, has announced a dire situation where the hospital’s fuel has run out, halting all medical equipment. The hospital is now facing catastrophic conditions, with patients waiting for death and the bodies of Palestinian martyrs piling up within the facility. Abu Salmiya’s stark depiction of the circumstances includes a lack of water, food, electricity, and internet, leaving the hospital completely isolated from the world.

The rehabilitation, spearheaded by the United Nations Support Office for Somalia (UNSOS), began in March 2021 and was completed in June 2022. Despite challenges including delays in material delivery, security concerns, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was executed without closing the runway to fixed-wing operations. The improvements have made the runway suitable for larger aircraft, such as the C-130 Hercules, thereby addressing safety concerns and boosting the airport’s operational capacity.

The impact of the renovations has been immediate. The airport now sees about 30 commercial flights weekly, with passenger numbers rising from an average of 1,000 to between 1,500 and 2,000 each week. The increase in air traffic is not only a boon for passenger and cargo transport but also brings economic benefits to Southwest State.

The enhanced runway and taxiways have also had a positive effect on peacebuilding efforts by improving connections between Baidoa and Mogadishu, potentially strengthening relationships between Somalia’s central government and its Federal Member States.

For healthcare providers like Dr. Fowziyo Omar Mohamud at Isha Hospital in Baidoa, the upgraded airport facilities have eased concerns over transporting sensitive medical supplies. The increase in safe and reliable air transportation has changed the hospital’s operational dynamics, ensuring the timely and safe delivery of critical medical equipment and drugs.