Somalia threatens to suspend Ethiopian Airlines flights

The Somali Government has threatened to suspend Ethiopian Airlines flights to Somalia unless concerns over ‘violations of Somali sovereignty’ related to destinations served by Ethiopian Airlines are resolved. In a statement, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) said it had had previous correspondence dating to 14 August with Ethiopian Airlines about the issue. It did not provide details, but many observers in the region say they believe it refers to the airlines' flights to Hargeisa, Somaliland. ‘It has come to our attention that, instead of addressing the sovereignty issues outlined in our letter, Ethiopian Airlines has made adjustments to its flight operations by removing references to Somali destinations and retaining only airport codes,’ the statement said, according to a report in The East African. The SCAA also said it has received an ‘increasing number of complaints’ from the Somali public regarding their travel experiences with Ethiopian Airlines. ‘If these issues are not resolved by 23 August 2024, SCAA will have no choice but to suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights to Somalia, effective from that date. This would result in the cessation of Ethiopian Airlines services flights to Somalia.’ The SCAA said it will not provide any warning about future steps.

In January, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, which officials in Hargeisa said would give them recognition in return for leasing 20km of the seafront to Ethiopia in a deal that angered Somalia, which considered it a violation of its sovereignty and territorial unity. The SCAA sent a similar warning to the UAE-based airline, Fly Dubai, citing ‘serious violations committed by Fly Dubai regarding the representation of destinations served to/from Somalia in your official website, ticket booking platform, and mobile application.’ ‘These representations blatantly disregard the sovereignty of the Federal Government of Somalia and are unacceptable,’ the statement said, according to The East African report.

Full report in The East African