South Sudan and Ethiopia have reached a partnership agreement in which Addis Ababa will support Juba in establishing and managing a national airline, officials from both countries have disclosed.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2023 was revisited during a meeting between the Minister of Transport, Madut Biar, and Ethiopian Ambassador Nabil Mahdi in Juba on Thursday.
The collaboration follows a separate agreement that will allow Ethiopian aviation personnel to manage South Sudan’s airspace, which the country is transitioning from Sudan ownership.
Transport Minister Biar said South Sudan will enjoy “significant” benefits from Ethiopia’s experience in airline management and operations.
“We discussed how South Sudan can benefit from Ethiopia Airline when South Sudan establishes its airline after South Sudan took over the management and control of its airspace from Sudan,” he said.
“We will enter into a partnership with Ethiopia Airlines when we establish our airline for training and management, where we can benefit from this partnership.”
Boeing supplies the majority of the 134 aircraft in Ethiopian Airlines’ fleet, making it the largest airline in Africa.
The Ethiopian Ambassador to South Sudan, Nabil Mahdi, confirmed that the embassy will work to activate the aviation agreement signed between the two nations last year.
The diplomat believes the agreement will enhance South Sudan’s capabilities in the aviation sector.
“Our discussion was based on key issues, including the operationalization of the MOU that was signed last year between the aviation authorities in the two countries,” he said on SSBC.
“We are committed to expediting the operationalization and sharing the Ethiopia Airlines experience; as we all know, Ethiopia Airlines is the largest airline in Africa now.”
In June 2023, the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) offered a comprehensive legal framework to govern the air transport services between Ethiopia and South Sudan based on international aviation standards and principles.
