Ethiopian Airlines flights to and from Somalia have been threatened with suspension by the Somali government unless “violations of Somali sovereignty” about Ethiopian Airlines’ destinations are addressed.

The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) noted in a statement that it had previously corresponded with Ethiopian Airlines over the matter as early as August 14. Although it did not disclose specifics, several regional watchers believe it alludes to the airline’s 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.

The Somali public has been filing “increasing numbers of complaints” to the SCAA about their travel experiences with Ethiopian Airlines, the agency added.

“If these issues are not resolved by August 23, 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.”

According to the SCAA, it won’t provide any advisories regarding upcoming actions. Officials from Ethiopian Airlines were called by VOA’s Horn of Africa Service; they have not yet responded to demands for comment.

However, Getachew Mengiste, the director of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, informs VOA that officials are aware of the problem. They haven’t yet had an official letter from the SCAA, though.

Mengiste promised to talk about the problem, look into its origin, and take appropriate action thereafter. For a long time, Ethiopian Airlines has operated flights to Somaliland.

Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January of this year. According to Hargeisa officials, the agreement would grant the latter recognition in exchange for Ethiopia leasing 20 kilometres of the seafront. This arrangement infuriated Somalia, which saw it as a breach of its sovereignty and territorial unity.

Fly Dubai, an airline operating in the United Arab Emirates, received a similar warning from the SCAA, claiming “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.

“All destinations to/from Somalia operated by Fly Dubai must clearly and correctly reference the name of the destination along with Somalia on both your official website and mobile application used for ticketing and booking services,” it said, adding, “This must be corrected no later than August 24, 2024.”

If the directive is not followed, Somalia has threatened to cancel Fly Dubai’s operating permit within its borders, “This decision will be enforced without further notice.”