Daallo Airlines Flight 159
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Headquarters | Mogadishu , Somalia |
Area served | International |
Key people | Mohamed Ibrahim Yassin Olad (CEO) |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
Daallo Airlines Flight 159 was an international passenger service managed by the Somali-owned carrier Daallo Airlines. On 2 February 2016, approximately twenty minutes after departing from Mogadishu, an explosion took place on board. The aircraft managed to return safely to the airport, although one fatality occurred, believed to be the perpetrator. Investigations later confirmed that the blast resulted from a bomb detonated in a suicide attack. The militant Islamist group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the incident. Subsequently, ten individuals were convicted in relation to the plot.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a 19-year-old Airbus A321-111, registration SX-BHS, owned by Hermes Airlines and operated by Daallo Airlines at the time of the event. It had been delivered to Daallo Airlines on 5 January 2015, having previously flown for Hermes Airlines, Air Méditerranée, Myanmar Airways International, and Swissair. The manufacturer serial number (MSN) was 642, with its maiden flight on 6 January 1997 and delivery to Swissair on 21 January 1997. The plane was equipped with two CFM56 engines and configured with 220 economy-class seats.
The flight crew consisted of Captain Vladimir “Vlatko” Vodopivec, a 64-year-old Serbian pilot, and First Officer Riccardo Bonaldi, a 24-year-old Italian aviator. Bonaldi was designated to handle flying duties while Vodopivec monitored flight instruments. Both pilots held valid licenses and medical certificates.
Incident
At around twenty minutes after takeoff from Mogadishu, Somalia, on 2 February 2016, an explosion occurred aboard Flight 159 bound for Djibouti City. The blast created a hole near seats 15/16F behind the R2 door, close to the forward wing root and adjacent fuel tanks. The aircraft carried 74 passengers alongside seven crew members.
Following the explosion, cabin crew moved passengers toward the rear of the plane. Although the pilots reported a pressurization problem to Mogadishu air traffic control, they did not declare an emergency. The aircraft successfully returned to Aden Adde International Airport for an emergency landing. Three people sustained injuries during the incident. The charred remains of the suicide bomber were found on the ground near Dhiiqaaley, Somalia.
Due to a prior delay before departure, the cabin had not reached full pressurization when the explosion occurred. Investigators suggested that a laptop containing a timer device triggered the bomb mid-flight. The captain remarked that if there had been no delay and the aircraft had reached cruising altitude, the consequences might have been more severe.
Daallo Airlines CEO Mohamed Ibrahim Yassin Olad disclosed that the suicide bomber and 69 other passengers were initially booked on a Turkish Airlines flight canceled earlier that day because of adverse weather conditions. Daallo Airlines arranged for these passengers to travel to Djibouti for onward connection via Turkish Airlines. Turkish Airlines spokesman Yahya Ustun confirmed their flight cancellation.
Investigation
Following Flight 159’s return to Mogadishu, Somalia's Air Accident Investigation Authority (SAAIA) reported one individual missing; this person’s body was later recovered near Balad. The National Intelligence and Security Agency spearheaded the bombing investigation in collaboration with airport authorities and local police forces. Daallo Airlines stated that technical experts from Hermes Airlines—the aircraft’s owner—and Airbus participated in examining the incident. Additionally, the FBI provided assistance.
Preliminary examinations detected explosive residues aboard Flight 159. The bomb was suspected to have been concealed within a laptop carried by a passenger who initially used a wheelchair but was later transferred to a standard seat. Authorities arrested two passengers, including one seated adjacent to this individual, as suspected co-conspirators. On 6 February, Transport Minister Ali Ahmed Jama confirmed that an explosive device caused the blast with intent to kill everyone on board.
The deceased was identified as Abdullahi Abdisalam Borleh, a 55-year-old resident of Mogadishu and Islamic school instructor reportedly traveling abroad for medical treatment. Somali officials noted Borleh had been under surveillance but was not considered a threat. A senior immigration official stated he had obtained a Turkish visa intended for advisory work with Turkey’s foreign ministry; however, Somalia’s Embassy in Ankara denied issuing any letter supporting this visa application.
Security footage from the airport showed two men—apparently employees—handing Borleh a laptop. U.S. officials indicated investigators believed the bomber had connections with airline or airport personnel. At least twenty individuals—including government officials and airline staff—were detained on suspicion of involvement in the attack. Serbian Captain Vlatko Vodopivec criticized airport security procedures as "chaotic," pointing out unrestricted access to both tarmac areas and aircraft.
Despite this event, Daallo Airlines CEO Mohamed Ibrahim Yassin Olad reaffirmed his company’s dedication to maintaining operations within Somalia, emphasizing their quarter-century presence and role in sustaining Somalia’s international connectivity.
On 13 February, Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility via email communication, framing the attack as retaliation against Western coalitions and intelligence agencies targeting Somalis. The group stated that Turkish Airlines was targeted because Turkey is part of NATO supporting Western military efforts in Somalia and asserted that their operation aimed at Western intelligence personnel as well as Turkish NATO soldiers allegedly onboard.
Criminal convictions
On 30 May 2016, a Somali military tribunal handed down life sentences to two individuals for orchestrating the attack and being affiliated with al-Shabaab. Among them was a former airport security officer, while the other, responsible for funding the operation, was convicted in absentia. Additionally, eight other airport personnel—including security screeners, a police officer, a porter, and immigration staff—were found guilty of assisting in the conspiracy and received prison sentences ranging from six months to four years, although they were not identified as al-Shabaab members.
See also
- Accidents and incidents involving the Airbus A320 family
- Metrojet Flight 9268 – Deadly bombing involving an A321
- Northwest Airlines Flight 253 – Unsuccessful bombing attempt involving an A330
External links
- Articles with short description
- 2016 in Djibouti
- 2010s crimes in Mogadishu
- 2016 in Somalia
- 2010s trials
- Accidents and incidents involving the Airbus A321
- Al-Shabaab (militant group) attacks
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 2016
- Aviation accidents and incidents in Somalia
- Failed airliner bombings
- February 2016 crimes in Africa
- Islamic terrorist incidents in 2016
- Suicide bombings in 2016
- Suicide bombings in Somalia
- Terrorist incidents in Somalia in 2016
- Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- 2016 disasters in Somalia