The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority has disproved the statements circulated by the Kenyan Air Traffic Controllers Association in their circular of 30 August 2018 regarding the safety of Ethiopian airspace following the illegal strike of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority assures the wider public as well as airlines, national civil aviation authorities and international and regional bodies that following the illegal strike by ATCs in Ethiopia, the Area Control Center (ACC) in Addis Ababa is being manned by adequate number of well trained, highly capable instructors and professionals who are current for the positions with the necessary ratings and validation in accordance with ICAO Annex 1 provisions.
Similarly, the approach and aerodrome positions are also manned with professionals possessing all the qualifications. The controllers that have come in for support or assistance following the illegal strike were all assigned with the necessary orientation and on the job trainings before they were released solo, per the standard practice. Some of the Air Traffic Controllers, who were on strike, have already returned to their normal duties.
The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority says it has not received any complaint by any airline operating to/from Ethiopia or overflying the Ethiopian airspace. All airlines are operating their scheduled and unscheduled flights smoothly, including our national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, which has the largest operations in Africa.
The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority adds that it is working in close collaboration with its good neighbor and partner, the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority, on cross border flight coordination.
Source: Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority