By: Our Staff Writer
Addis Ababa (Ethiopia Today) June 21, 2023: Ethiopia and South Sudan have signed an air transport service agreement to further their bilateral relations in the aviation sector.
The pact was signed by Getachew Mengiste, Director General of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), and Capt. Subek David Dada, CEO of the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority, on Monday.
The agreement offers a comprehensive legal framework to govern air transport services between Ethiopia and South Sudan based on international aviation standards and principles, the ECAA says.
Authorities believe the signing of the deal would provide impetus to the continent-wide push to create a Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
The initiative, a flagship project of the African Union Agenda 2063, aims to make it easier for airlines to connect African countries to one another through the liberalization of civil aviation on the continent.
The ECCA says that the air transport services agreement with South Sudan has great importance for Ethiopian Airlines in its bid to enhance connectivity within Africa and beyond.
The national carrier currently operates twice-a-day flight services to Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian and South Sudan civil Aviation authorities signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday to work on a Search and rescue mission together.
