Ethiopian and Turkish civil aviation authorities signed a memorandum of understanding to boost Air services of their national flag carriers.
The high level delegations of two countries met on the sideline of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal, Canada.
The two sides signed the MoU for the development of Istanbul-Addis Ababa flights to be operated with wide-body aircraft on Wednesday.
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The MoU further enhances the relations between the two countries and provides more access for both Ethiopian airlines and Turkish Airlines, said the embassy of Ethiopia in Canada.
It will enhance passenger and cargo services which in turn facilitates the movement of people and goods between Africa and Turkey, the embassy added.
Bid for ICAO Council seat
Led by Director General of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), Getachew Mengistie, the delegation is attending the ICAO General Assembly. ICAO is the United Nations aviation agency.
The 193-nation ICAO assembly, held every three years, is the first since the COVID-19 and is expected to determine its policy for the next three years.
The Assembly will also vote to elect countries to ICAO’s 36-member governing council on Saturday.
Ethiopia, a founding member of the ICAO, is running for a seat as part III member of the council.
Urging member nations for vote, Director General Getachew said, “Ethiopia has been committed to the implementation and realization of the organization’s initiatives and strategic objectives, such as ‘No Country Left Behind’ and ‘one ICAO’ from the outset.”
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Getachew expressed his country’s “strong conviction to ensure and uphold utmost safety and security of the air transport service thereby promoting sustainable development in international aviation.”
The ECAA has been pushing to become one of the top Air Traffic Service providers in Africa with a capacity to handle over 165,000 air traffic movements annually while maintaining the global safety and security standards intact.
Ethiopia, along with three other countries, was recognised for a significant progress in aviation safety with Council President Certificates at the opening day of the ICAO Assembly this week.
