Somalia's national carrier, dual-hubbed at Mogadishu and Nairobi, operating a B737-300QC quick-change aircraft and linking air cargo networks across East Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean coast. Full resumption of international operations in 2026 and the shift from turboprops to narrowbody jets open a new corridor for air logistics from China to the Horn of Africa.
Jubba Airways is the main commercial air carrier of the Federal Republic of Somalia, dual-hubbed at Mogadishu Aden Adde International Airport (MGQ) and Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO). Founded in 1998, the airline has grown from restoring domestic operations to opening international routes. In 2026 it completed a key step in fleet modernization, moving from turboprop regional aircraft to narrowbody jets, and formally resumed international flights in September that year. With China-Somalia trade deepening, Jubba Airways cargo capability gives Chinese shippers a strategically useful new option for air logistics to East Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
Mainly Somalia, plus Kenya, Djibouti, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. International flights formally resumed in September 2026.
B737-300QC, Fokker 100 and Fokker 50 aircraft in service, with more B737-300 and B737-400 narrowbody jets planned.
The B737-300QC can be converted from passenger cabin to full cargo configuration within hours, carrying about 15 to 18 tonnes, and is the only aircraft in Somalia with quick-change capability.
Covers five major Somali cities and international routes to Nairobi, Mombasa, Djibouti, Dubai and Jeddah.
Jubba Airways has no office or representative in mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR or Taiwan. The contact routes and alternatives for Chinese customers are set out below.
Jubba Airways has no official office, ticket desk or cargo agent office in China. All bookings, settlement and service requests for cargo originating in China must go through its Kenya head office or its authorized East African agents.
Nairobi operating base telephone: +254 20 23 25573
Website: jubbaairways.com
Head office address: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya
Chinese customers seeking a cargo partnership with Jubba Airways or checking capacity should useGoodhope Freightfor the introduction. Goodhope Freight holds freight forwarding qualifications for East African routes and can confirm capacity and negotiate rates directly with Jubba Airways head office.
Jubba Airways appointed cargo agents in East Africa can help with document preparation, customs coordination and destination pickup for cargo originating in China. Agent details are available from the Jubba Airways Nairobi head office orGoodhope Freightthrough us.
The Jubba Airways fleet is in the middle of a shift from turboprop regional aircraft to narrowbody jets. In September 2026 the B737-300QC quick-change aircraft entered service, the first time the airline has had jet freighter capability. The parameters below cover the types Chinese customers ask about.
Quick Change combi · core cargo type
Planned addition · narrowbody fleet expansion
Turbofan regional jet · regional routes
Turboprop regional aircraft · domestic and short regional routes
As of September 2026, Jubba Airways operates no scheduled or charter service at any Chinese airport.
Jubba Airways' network is concentrated on Somalia, East Africa and the Middle East and includes no point in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan. The airline has no published plan to open China routes.
| Major Chinese international airports | Jubba Airways service status |
|---|---|
| Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) | No service |
| Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) | No service |
| Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) | No service |
| Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX) | No service |
| Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) | No service |
| Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) | No service |
| Yiwu Airport (YIW) | No service |
Cargo from China to Somalia or East Africa can connect to Nairobi (NBO) on the carriers below and then join Jubba Airways regional flights:
Jubba Airways does not currently offer direct cargo flights from China. Chinese cargo must transit a third country to an airport on the Jubba Airways network before its regional capacity can complete the final leg. The destination countries and transit paths are listed below.
| Destination country | Arrival airport | Transit hub |
|---|---|---|
| Somalia | Mogadishu MGQ, Hargeisa HGA, Bosaso BSA, Garowe GGR, Galkayo GLK, Kismayo KMU | Nairobi NBO |
| Kenya | Nairobi NBO, Mombasa MBA | Direct or via Nairobi |
| Djibouti | Djibouti JIB | Mogadishu MGQ |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai DXB | Mogadishu MGQ |
| Saudi Arabia | Jeddah JED | Mogadishu MGQ, Hargeisa HGA |
Connections from China to the Jubba Airways network use the following transit nodes:
The value of Jubba Airways is not a direct flight from China but its role as the last-leg carrier inside East Africa and the Horn of Africa. After a connection at a hub such as Nairobi, it provides air access to the whole of Somalia and the East African interior.
The B737-300QC is the only aircraft in the Somali market that can switch from passenger to all-cargo configuration within hours. For reconstruction materials, humanitarian aid and bulk e-commerce cargo from China to Somalia, the QC gives flexible capacity allocation that is not limited to the belly space of a single passenger flight.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi is one of the largest air cargo hubs in East Africa, and carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines already offer frequent flights from China to Nairobi. Cargo arriving in Nairobi can be transferred to Jubba Airways flights at the same airport, avoiding a second clearance and extra ground transport cost.
Jubba Airways serves six Somali cities: Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Bosaso, Garowe, Galkayo and Kismayo. Chinese cargo connected through Nairobi can reach Somalia's main economic centres with the airline and avoid long overland transfers.
Jubba Airways already flies Mogadishu to Dubai (DXB) and Jeddah (JED). Dubai is a global air cargo transfer point with dense flight connections to China, so Chinese cargo can connect there onto Jubba Airways flights for East African destinations, forming a China-Dubai-East Africa triangle.
Somalia is a major destination for United Nations humanitarian aid, and Chinese building materials, medical equipment, food and consumer goods move there and to neighbouring regions in large volumes. Jubba Airways QC freighter can take outsized and overweight reconstruction materials, which humanitarian logistics requires.
About 10 airlines operated in the Somali market in 2026 and the competitive landscape is not yet settled. As one of the first Somali carriers to resume international operations, Jubba Airways has an early position on the emerging China-East Africa trade lane, with relatively flexible rates and space terms.
Jubba Airways draws on its unusual fleet configuration and network to offer several distinct air transport services that matter to shippers of Chinese origin cargo.
The quick-change capability of the B737-300QC lets Jubba Airways deploy aircraft as passenger or freighter flights according to demand. In peak cargo seasons or during emergency relief operations the whole aircraft can be converted to all-cargo configuration with about 15 to 18 tonnes of capacity, a capability no other operator in the Somali market has.
Somalia has long been a focus of international humanitarian aid, and Jubba Airways carries supplies for United Nations agencies, the International Red Cross and non-governmental organisations. The QC freighter can take large medical equipment, tents and water purification units, giving the East African leg of Chinese aid shipments a dependable channel.
Jubba Airways operates a Hargeisa-Jeddah Hajj route and carries large numbers of pilgrims from Somalia and Somaliland during the Hajj season each Islamic year. The season brings heavy air demand for religious items, gifts and personal effects, and the QC freighter can carry Hajj cargo alongside the passenger flights.
Exports of Somali and East African produce such as sesame, pulses, dried fish and spices to Middle East markets are an important revenue source for Jubba Airways cargo. Farm machinery, seed and irrigation equipment from China to East Africa can move the other way on the same network, supporting China-Africa agricultural projects.
As Somali telecom infrastructure improves and mobile payment such as Hormuud's EVC Plus spreads, cross-border e-commerce is growing in East Africa. Chinese e-commerce parcels to Somalia can connect via Dubai or Nairobi and be distributed in the region by Jubba Airways.
The quick-change capability of the B737-300QC also allows Jubba Airways to offer charters. For large Chinese engineering projects in Somalia, a full-aircraft charter can be negotiated to move equipment and materials in all-cargo configuration in one lift, avoiding the time and cost of shipping in parts.
Jubba Airways has no booking office in China. Chinese customers book through an international freight forwarder or through Jubba Airways authorised agents in East Africa. The usual sequence is as follows.
Jubba Airways is the only airline in Somalia with B737-300QC quick-change capability. Chinese origin cargo connected through Nairobi can reach the whole of Somalia and multiple destinations in East Africa and the Middle East. Goodhope Freight provides end-to-end forwarding from China to the Jubba Airways network.
Contact Goodhope Freight for ratesgoodhope86.com · freight forwarding on East African lanes
Answers to the questions Chinese customers ask most about Jubba Airways cargo
As of September 2026 Jubba Airways has no direct or through flight to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan. Its network covers Somali cities and international points including Nairobi, Mombasa, Djibouti, Dubai and Jeddah. Chinese origin cargo has to connect to its flights through a third-country hub.
Chinese cargo first moves on an international carrier such as Emirates (EK), Qatar Airways (QR), Turkish Airlines (TK) or Ethiopian Airlines (ET) to Nairobi (NBO) or Dubai (DXB), and Jubba Airways takes it onward. Goodhope Freight handles the whole job, coordinating the international leg with the Jubba Airways regional leg to keep the transfer simple.
QC stands for Quick Change. The cabin seats of the B737-300QC are mounted on quick-release tracks, so the 147-seat all-passenger layout can be converted to all-cargo configuration on the ground within hours, taking about 15 to 18 tonnes. It is the only aircraft in Somalia with this capability, which lets Jubba Airways switch between passenger and cargo flights according to demand and gives bulk and outsized shipments from China to East Africa a dedicated air channel.
Jubba Airways has no official office, ticket desk or cargo agency office in China. To contact the airline about cargo, call its head office in Nairobi, Kenya on +254 20 23 25573, or ask Goodhope Freight (goodhope86.com) to make the connection. Goodhope Freight has forwarding experience on East African lanes and deals directly with the Jubba Airways head office on space confirmation and rates.
Jubba Airways serves six main Somali cities: Mogadishu (MGQ, the capital and largest city), Hargeisa (HGA, capital of Somaliland), Bosaso (BSA, the port city of Puntland), Garowe (GGR, administrative capital of Puntland), Galkayo (GLK, in the centre) and Kismayo (KMU, a southern port city). Chinese cargo connected through Nairobi reaches these cities with the airline and avoids long overland transfers inside Somalia.
Jubba Airways head office (Nairobi)
Phone: +254 20 23 25573
Website: jubbaairways.com
Address: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya
Freight forwarder contact
Goodhope Freight: goodhope86.com
Goodhope website: goodhope86.com
Jubba Airways and related marks are registered trademarks or business identifiers of Jubba Airways Limited. B737 and Boeing 737 are trademarks of Boeing Company. Fokker 50 and Fokker 100 are trademarks of Fokker Technologies. Other airline names, IATA/ICAO codes and airport codes mentioned belong to their respective owners and are used here for information only, without infringement of any trademark right.
Published by Goodhope Freight · Content updated September 2026