Ethiopian Airlines plans to begin operating regular domestic flights in Mozambique within the next two months.
The Maputo-based daily, Notícias, quoted the head of the Mozambican Civil Aviation Institute (IACM), João de Abreu, as saying that the Ethiopian company had resubmitted the documentation needed to begin regular operations. The papers had been returned the first time for minor corrections.
The company registered under the designation Ethiopian Moçambique Airlines is currently in the third of the five stages needed to obtain an operator certificate in Mozambique. Abreu said it was the most important stage, entailing thorough verification of all required manuals and documents.
The next two stages consist of demonstrating the ability to comply with security procedures in an experimental flight and formal delivery of the aviation certificate allowing the company to begin flight operations in Mozambique.
Ethiopian Airlines’ entry in the domestic passenger transport market stems from a tender launched in 2017 by the Mozambican authorities to grant routes in national airspace.