The new Ethiopian chapter of the African Business Aviation Association had its first meeting in Addis Ababa on August 9.

“It is our belief that it is only a matter of time before Ethiopia becomes a major business aviation hub,” Fahmy told the gathering of new AfBAA members. “Yes, it is inevitable Ethiopia joins, or perhaps leads, African business aviation just like it does in commercial aviation. The speed at which this inevitable prediction becomes a reality rests on you.”
However, for now, Ethiopian business and general aviation remain in their infancy, despite the fact that the country lays claim to havin the fastest-growing economy in Africa, and that Addis Ababa is the headquarters of both the African unio and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Today, there isn’t a single business jet registered in the country that boasts just half a dozen small charter operators, which claim to be the victims of unfair competition from foreign rivals.
During the meeting in Addis Ababa, National Airways chairman Dawit Egzabher complained that private operators are discriminated against by state-backed Ethiopian Airlines. Twenty years ago, he founded the country’s first privately owned airline, Gosh Air, but now claims that general aviation has made little or no progress over the past two decades. In his view, the sector is being held back by regulatory restrictions that mean it takes more than 24 hours to get flight permits for charter bookings, as well as by impediments to market access and difficulties getting finance to fund fleet growth.
Capt. Solomon Gizaw, managing director of Abyssinian Flight Services, said that capacity issues are a big impediment, with general aviation operators being forced to share the single runway at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport with airline traffic. “We have been demanding a general aviation airport in the vicinity of Addis Ababa, but we have been told to go to the regional airports while our customers are here in Addis Ababa,” he said.
Gizaw also alleged that Ethiopian Airlines receives preferential treatment from local air traffic controllers at the expense of private charter operators. He also complained about difficulties in importing aircraft parts due to customs restrictions, and he criticized Ethiopian politicians for their “failure to grasp the catalytic role business aviation could play in the [country’s] impressive economic growth.”
Girma Shiferaw, vice president of corporate strategy, communication and alliances with Ethiopian Airlines, defended the carrier. “We do not consider private operators as competitors like foreign airlines. Rather you provide complementary services,” he told the AfBAA meeting. “There is no discrimination; rather, the problem is related to inadequate facilities at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Ethiopian is ready to support the general aviation in the areas of training and MRO services. We need to cooperate.”
From November 17 to 18, Egypt-based AfBAA will hold its annual Business Aviation Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. The event will include a forum on remotely piloted aircraft systems.
According to Fahmy, AfBAA is also looking to establish a new chapter in Ghana. Currently, it says that the African countries with the highest levels of buiness aviation activity are South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola and Nigeria.