A new aviation policy has been prepared by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) and the document is said to encourage large scale investment from private investors.
Commenting on the development, ECAA’s Promotion and Public Relation head, Animut Lemma, said the draft policy was tabled for discussion and it would be ratified in the near future. The policy has taken into consideration the challenges the private sector faces, he added.
The current legislation of Ethiopia prohibits private airliners from having airplanes with more than 20 seats and allows them to fly only within Ethiopia. They are also prohibited to operate in scheduled flight, which Ethiopian Airlines is allowed to.
Animut noted that chartered flights limit the private airliners to attract only tourists, diplomats and explorers. This has held back the growth of the private aviation investment, he added.
The draft policy allows private airliners to fly to neighboring countries, Animut explained.
According to him, much has been taken from Kenya’s experience in private sector development and that the policy is aimed at making private aviation sector competitive in East Africa.
