Somalia has warned that it may suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights to its territory due to a territorial dispute.
On August 21, 2024, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) announced that the airline has not addressed concerns regarding Somali sovereignty.
The dispute intensified after Ethiopia signed a January 2024 agreement with the separatist region of Somaliland, granting Ethiopia access to 20 kilometers of Somaliland’s coastline for 50 years in exchange for recognizing the region.
Somalia views this deal as a breach of its sovereignty, escalating tensions between the two nations.
The SCAA also criticized Ethiopian Airlines for removing Somali destination names from its systems, which it sees as a further affront to Somali sovereignty.
Ethiopian Airlines has until August 23, 2024, to resolve these issues or face a suspension of all flights to Somalia.