Anger in Abu Dhabi over Ethiopian refusal to let flag carrier commence flights
A regular Gulf aviation source has let it drop that anger is boiling over in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi,
after it was learned that the Ethiopian authorities have withheld approvals for Etihad to commence
flights, due to start on November 02nd.
‘The bilateral air service agreements are clear, Etihad has the right to fly to Addis Ababa. They
have spent a lot of money to prepare for the launch, marketing and all, staff employment in
Ethiopia, rent, investments in all sorts of things, lined up media and agents fam trips and all
is now in jeopardy. I would not be surprised if on landing in the UAE Ethiopian may not be subjected to
a series of ramp checks at Dubai International, to drive home the point that you do not mess
around like that. It might also have a fall out on political relations between the UAE and Ethiopia
as such blatant breaches of protocol, especially in the Arab world, means loss of face and THAT
will have a reaction somewhere‘ wrote the source in a mail just received, as the Gulf is an hour
ahead of East Africa.
Presently it is Ethiopian and Emirates flying between Dubai and Addis, and FlyDubai from Sharjah
to Addis while Etihad wanted to launch later this week flights between Abu Dhabi and Addis.
Notably did Ethiopian Airlines try their luck with flights to Abu Dhabi a few years ago but failed to
attract enough traffic, subsequently scrapping the route within months and now thought to have peddled
influence with the authorities to keep what has been described by a source in Addis as ‘unwelcome
competition from another Gulf giant‘ out of their back yard. Could this be true? In aviation, and
considering the recent politicization of the airline in a radical departure from the past strict division of
airline and ruling party, nothing would surprise me. Watch this space for breaking and regular news
from Eastern Africa’s aviation scene.
2 Responses
If Etihad is not allowed to fly to Ethiopia then mostly likely Ethiopian airline can be denied access into Seychelles.
That would be most unlikely as these are two different jurisdictions after all but it is shortsighted of Ethiopia to lock horns with one of the Gulf states as aviation is very much based on reciprocity.
Thanks for reading my blog.
W.