Somalia's Mogadishu airport reopens after closure over US plane crash

The main airport in the Somali capital, Mogadishu has reopened after a plane crash on Tuesday caused disruption of flights.

A small US- registered passenger plane chartered by US contracting firm Bancroft crashed in what was reported to be a case of failure of the plane’s landing gear.

There were no casualties as four people on board were safely evacuated according to local media sources. Bancroft is a security company contracted to the US State Department.

The crash on the runway meant that flights could not take-off or land. The accident site was however cleared and flights were seen arriving and departing.

Mogadishu airport reopens after crash-landing of US-registered aircraft earlier on Tuesday; up to 30 flights arrive at the airport everyday. pic.twitter.com/yKm0Grdbla

— Harun Maruf (@HarunMaruf) May 30, 2017

Photos: Plane reportedly chartered by US contractors Bancroft crash-lands at Mogadishu airport, all on board rescued. (photos by a witness) pic.twitter.com/lN5Glp653e

— Harun Maruf (@HarunMaruf) May 30, 2017

The airport is seen as one of the safest places in the country that continues to battle with Al-Shabaab militants.

Its hangar was the venue for the country’s last presidential elections when lawmakers converged to elect President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo earlier this year.

Somalia beyond its security challenges is also facing an acute drought which the government have declared as a national disaster. The country’s security is in the hands of the Somali National Army and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM);