DALLAS — Somalia's Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has issued a stern warning to Ethiopian Airlines (ET), threatening to ban the airline from operating within Somali airspace. The SCAA accused Africa's largest carrier of disregarding Somalia's sovereignty in an ongoing dispute with Ethiopia.

In a statement released via Somali state media, the aviation authority criticized ET for failing to address previous complaints related to "sovereignty issues."

According to the SCAA, the airline's recent decision to remove specific Somali destinations from its listings, leaving only airport codes, has further aggravated the situation. The SCAA cautioned that if the matter is not resolved by August 23, all ET flights to Somalia could be suspended.

This development is part of a broader tension between Somalia and Ethiopia, fueled by Somalia's opposition to a port access agreement between Ethiopia and the self-declared independent region of Somaliland, which Mogadishu considers illegal.

Amidst these tensions, Türkiye has been mediating negotiations between the two nations and has reported significant progress towards a peaceful resolution.

Ethiopian Airlines' Somalian Destinations

Ethiopian Airlines conducts flights to Somaliland's capital, Hargeisa, Garowe in Puntland, and Mogadishu in Somalia. However, its website includes Hargeisa without a country identification and returns no results for Somaliland, although Mogadishu is clearly defined as being in Somalia.

Specifically, ET flies from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) to Egal International Airport (HGA), which is an airport in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, but has no flight scheduled for Bosaso Airport (BSA), also known as Bosaso International Airport, an airport in northern Somalia.

The Ethiopian carrier also flies to General Mohamed Abshir Airport (GGR), an airport serving Garowe, the administrative capital of the autonomous Puntland region in northeastern Somalia, and can also reach Aden Adde International Airport (MGQ), formerly known as Mogadishu International Airport, an international airport serving Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

In its letter on Wednesday, Mogadishu’s aviation regulator said it had held several discussions with ET officials about the “violation of Somali sovereignty regarding destinations” that the carrier serves. The SCAA claimed it had also “received an increasing number of unacceptable complaints from the Somali public regarding their travel experiences with Ethiopian Airlines.”

“Any future recurrence, such as not properly identifying the destinations in Somalia, will result in suspension without further warning,” it added. The airline has 282 flights to Somalia scheduled for September 2024, according to Cirium Dioo data.

This is a developing story.