MOGADISHU (SD)—Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways suspended their flights to Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Tuesday following a security alert issued by the U.S. Embassy in Somalia.

The U.S. warning highlighted the possibility of terrorist attacks in Mogadishu, including at Aden Adde International Airport and other locations.

The U.S. alert sparked security concerns, leading international airlines to suspend their flights to Mogadishu for a week and cancel previously booked tickets.

Ethiopian Airlines, however, disregarded the U.S. warning and continued its operations, becoming the only international airline still flying to Aden Adde International Airport during this period. This demonstrated the airline’s ability to operate under challenging and sensitive conditions.

Domestic flights and regional airlines, such as Uganda Airlines, continued their operations as usual. Somali airlines, including:

Daallo Airlines

African Express

Freedom Airlines

Jubba Airways

also maintained their regular schedules, as did smaller airlines operating domestic routes within Somalia.

The U.S. regularly issues security alerts for its citizens and diplomats in Mogadishu, and it has become common for such warnings to be issued at the beginning and end of Ramadan each year.

It is worth recalling that on April 11 last year, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi issued a security alert, followed by the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu, which led to the closure of the airport and a state of heightened security in the capital.

While terrorist attacks often do not materialize following U.S. alerts, the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) and other security agencies have successfully thwarted several Al-Shabaab attacks targeting the Halane compound and Mogadishu Airport.