MOGADISHU, Somalia – Dozens of local staff at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu held a demonstration on Tuesday, alleging they were unfairly suspended and replaced by foreign workers under the management of the Turkish company Favori LLC, which has been running the airport since 2013, Arlaadi Media reports.
The employees claim the firm dismissed them en masse and brought in foreign contractors, triggering the protest and temporarily disrupting airport operations.
Their grievances come amid wider concerns about Favori’s operations in Somalia. Under its 2013 concession agreement with the Federal Government of Somalia, the government is entitled to 25 % of the airport’s revenue — a requirement emphasised in official audit documents.
However, the government’s auditor found that Favori failed to provide audited financial statements for 2021‑22, making it impossible to verify if the correct revenue was transferred.
Favori has also publicly asserted it holds exclusive rights to collect navigation fees at the airport — a claim that has sparked dispute with the Somali Civil Aviation Authority. Meanwhile, at present, the Federal Government of Somalia has not issued a formal comment on the protest or the underlying contractual and labour concerns.
