Why you shoudn’t fly with Daallo Airlines
Photograph: Daallo Airlines operates the former Eastok Avia Airbus A320-231 which still carries the colors of Kam Air from Afghanistan and Sky Bosnia name.
I don’t usually write about my travels but I feel compelled about my last trip when the issue at hand literally concerns life and death. Just over two months ago, I traveled to east Africa for the first time in 18 years. Just thinking about my flight from Dubai international airport to Hargeisa’s Egal International Airport (via Djibouti) makes me lose circulation below the waist. For years, I have been hearing how Daallo Airlines is one of few carriers flying to and from Somaliland and its war ravaged neighbor Somalia.
On the day of departure I arrived at Dubai International airport at 12:00 AM; three hours before Daallo airlines was to take-off from terminal 1 for Djibouti. There I met lots of Somali passengers from around the world who were almost all traveling to Hargeisa and Djibouti before the Eid celebrations.
We were all excited. We were looking forward to the flight and having a rest after long flights. We all went through security and started to daydream about the adventures ahead and meeting with long lost relatives. However, we ended up sitting and waiting, eating and laughing for a really long time for our flight. The Daallo Airlines’ counter at Dubai airport remained closed for the next 12 hours with no explanation. No representatives from the airline even had the courage to come out and inform us about the cancellation. They all stayed in their hotels, apartments and switched off their phones, or so it appeared to us. If it was a proper airline, for cancellations passengers would be transferred to other flights or put up in hotels. We, men, women, children and elders all stayed at the airport for more than 18 hours. Some of us went to the mosque at the airport to freshen up. We had one elderly woman at least in her late 70s who stayed up all night in the uncomfortable airport chairs.
After 12 hours or more, the airline representative in United Arab Emirates, Khadar Ilka’ase and his entourage which included the Mayor of Hargeisa showed up. Upon their arrival, looking fresh and cool as cucumbers, not a single word of apology or further information was forthcoming. We had to rely on airport junior staff for information regarding as to when and if the airline would departure. We ran up and down the escalators, stairways and elevators for news. We went to the front information desk and wrote letters of complaints to the airport. People began to take out their cellphones and began to dial Khadar Ilka’ase’s number only to discover he had given them a wrong number. We had little hope and confidence that they (Dubai airport) will ever take action against the Djibouti national carrier and its uncaring staff. Some passengers said Daallo was delayed due to lack of interest. They insisted that the airliner had to wait for its other jets to bring in more passengers to Djibouti from southern Somalia, so they can combine all passengers traveling to Hargeisa.
When the uncaring and rude representatives finally decided to open their counter after 18 hours; rather than putting the women, children and elders first on the queue, they lined up their own entourage including Mayor Hussein Ji’ir and singer Nur Dala’ay.
After the final passenger was checked in, they packed us into two buses which carried us to an old Boeing 727-200 that seemed like they picked up from the scrap yard. It was dirty and unwelcoming. In the developed world, Boeing 727-200 was first introduced into the skies in 1963 and its production came to an end 1984. Airlines stopped flying 727 in the mid-1990s. It is not even safe to fly it anymore.
Once onboard, Russian pilots and Eastern European flight attendants took charge and took us into the skies after twenty minutes. The noise from the four-engined aircraft was unbearable. Some seasoned travelers suggested chewing gums to reduce the impact of the engine noise. The duration of the flight from Dubai to Djibouti was roughly four hours. On our way, they served us tap water and one dried and hard to swallow croissant. Once we landed, we thought the worst was over. At the Djibouti airport, we queued up again. This was even slower; they only had two counters for the 180 so passengers. With no escalators, lifts or easy mobility access, some elders had to struggle with every step they took to climb the long steps at Ambouli International Airport. We carried bags and other items up the stairs to assist the elders.
Once we got through the Mount Everest like steps, they crowded us into a tiny room with two old computers with two cameras—which did not work. The official at the airport kept switching between the two PCs just to take photographs of Somalis with foreign passports. Few whites (Dutch and Russians) who were traveling with us were excused and excluded from the photo session—they were uncomfortable with such treatment and insisted that their photos be taken and not treated different to everyone else.
After several hours sitting and staring at each others in the airport, we once again took on the man-made Mount Everest stairs—down to a waiting bus. The bus rushed us and once again crowded us into an even smaller, smellier, older aircraft—a Russian Antonov An-24. Once you stepped inside, the heat just hit you. Sweat ran down your back. Throats were so dry and you felt your shirt/t-shirt or abaya getting wet. There was not a single AC and Djibouti’s sweltering average 30-degrees Celsius temperature did not help. Chairs are falling apart. The smell of animals enveloped everything.
We later learned that Daallo airline uses its two Russian fleets to transport livestock animals across Somalia, Somaliland and Djibouti. It is a disaster waiting to happen. We were lucky and fortunate enough that no one died of heat stroke or as far as I know got infected with a deadly disease from all the animals they used on the aircraft. Who knows if the animals left behind blood-sucking fleas or mosquitoes carrying diseases such as Rift Valley Fever (RVF). Since the aircraft was almost a confined space with no AC or ventilation and no quarantine measures were in place– disease outbreak was possible.
The experience on the Antonov An-24 was highly unstable, turbulent and bumpy ride—it was scary to say the least. I would never recommend anyone to put their beloved ones through such terror especially children.
We prayed every second as the Russian metals tried to soar above the clouds at 35000ft. Without a warning it would descend and ascend back to new altitudes in mid air. Somali mothers were gripped with fear at the severe turbulence and would every time make a prayer. I sat there quietly—trying to keep my mind busy but I did think about the plane crashing and wondered if Djibouti or Somaliland had emergency teams. It is that scary. I felt my stomach drop due to the zero-gravity sensations every time the plane descended.
After what seemed like forever, we landed in Hargeisa’s poorly maintained runway at Egal International airport after 40 minutes of hell. Everyone was eager to get out and smell the fresh air of Hargeisa. Once on the ground, a funny fellow from Sweden chanted “taan ilahay baa waada maha diyaarad” or “this is flown by God Himself, it’s not a plane”. It was happy-hour for all the passengers. I was in Hargeisa for the first time and I forgot about Daallo Airlines and its insanity.
After several weeks in Hargeisa, I realized I had to do it all over again with Daallo except this time I was going in the opposite direction. Almost, every day I had to go to the Daallo office in Hargeisa to inquire about my reservations. Some people explained to me how Daallo pushed them aside and gave their seats to clan associates, their own entourage and inner-circle. I didn’t want the same happening to me since I felt like an outsider—after all it has been 18 years since I left this place as a child. The lady at their office reassured me that I was booked and that I would get my seat. I tried to believe her but I just didn’t have much faith in them or their system. I told myself not to take their word for it until I was onboard and on my way to Dubai.
When the day came for me to return back to Dubai, I was uneasy about Daallo’s promises. The plane was scheduled to take off from Egal International Airport at 1 o’clock in the afternoon but it arrived two hours later. I was not surprised. Once onboard, there won’t any seat numbers or allocations, every man, woman and child sat down in whatever seat they could get. I was lucky enough to be one of the first few to board the Djibouti national carrier. As we waited for the plane to take-off, we heard loud voices—angry ladies refused to vacate their seats. It turned out like the typical Daallo tradition, they over-booked the plane and many passengers did not have seats. The shameless airline urged mothers to hold their children, infants and teens on their laps so the extra passengers could get seats. Rightfully so, this angered all the mothers. They refused and told the airline to go to hell! I was proud of them. Daallo had no choice but to leave the extra passengers behind in Egal International Airport. The experience was no different from the first time.
From Djibouti to Dubai, Daallo was operating a plane that retired from service (a former Eastok Avia Airbus A320-231) that they acquired from Sky Bosnia. The aircraft has been in service since 1994 and was operated by more than twenty different carriers the last been Kam Air from Afghanistan which it still carries its colors. It is not a luxury plane but far better than their other fleets. There was an incident, where one guy was smoking in the airline toilets just before we landed in Dubai. It’s times like this that I appreciate real airliners such as Royal Brunei Airlines. I cant wait to fly with Brunei again and never Daallo again.
I would not recommend Daallo Airlines to any human being. Most people I met suggested African Express Airways, which flies twice weekly from Dubai to Berbera. They load you to a bus once you arrive in Berbera, they said it’s a pleasant and enjoyable experience.
If you decide to fly with Daallo, I also suggest that you double check your tickets. I have met many passengers who had on their airline tickets that Daallo was flying from Dubai to Berbera directly. It never mentioned Djibouti. It’s misleading information, Daallo is the flag carrier of Djibouti and will always take you to Djibouti. The tickets are $500 from Dubai to Hargeisa with return, I heard African Express Airways is cheaper and has much cleaner and safer airlines (McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32). The seats on Daallo Airlines are falling apart and almost all the seat-belts are out off use. What do you expect from an airline they use to carry animals (they remove the seats and reattach them an hour before their human clients onboard it).
Enjoy your holiday and please don’t harm your children by flying Daallo. Don’t trust your life or that of your children with the Mohammed Yassin Olad, President Omar Guelleh and Khadar Ilka’ase gang.
Let’s also hope the Somaliland civil aviation minister is serious about renovating the airports in the country. This could attract the likes of Ethiopia Airlines or even Turkish Airlines, which announced last week it will fly to Mogadishu. Personally, I do rather be a transit in Mogadishu than Djibouti.
Would you pay $500 for scrap metals to share it with animals?
By the way, Egal International airport is far better than Djibouti’s Ambouli International Airport when it comes to atmosphere, hospitality, climate and services. Ambouli International Airport reins supreme when it comes to runways and the buses are proper-modern airport buses.
Yanyo Mooge “Kayse”
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