MOGADISHU, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) said Thursday it has started upgrading an airport in Baidoa, southwestern Somalia, to boost the safety of aircraft and passengers and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
The upgrade involves fencing off Shaati Gaduud International Airport, Somalia's South West State, to improve flight operations, UNSOS said.
Mohammed Shameem, UNSOS air operations officer in Baidoa, said the fencing project will define the boundary of the airport, enhance access control, and guard against potential threats from wild animals, ensuring a safer environment for both civilian and military operations, among others.
"With the introduction and implementation of the runway fencing, operations will be much safer and free from incursions by wild animals such as dogs," Shameem said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
The rehabilitation of Baidoa Airport began in 2021, with UNSOS initially tarmacking 2.5 kilometers of the runway and taxiways.
"Baidoa's runway development and rehabilitation have greatly uplifted the town," Shameem said. "People here depend entirely on air transport, and with the project's completion, all kinds of aircraft can operate safely."
UNSOS, which is mandated to provide logistical support to the African Union and UN missions in Somalia as well as the Somali Security Forces (SSF), also conducts capacity-building for the SSF and Somali aviation personnel, with the ultimate goal of developing the country's aviation industry.
UNSOS recently completed a comprehensive training program for the SSF in South West State, covering aviation security, airport firefighting, tactical military operations, air traffic control, medical evacuation, meteorology, and drone operations. ■
