Ethiopian Airlines is on track to become the second foreign-owned company to operate regular domestic passenger flights in Mozambique.

News of the airline’s plans to launch domestic flights in Mozambique was made public by the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Institute of Mozambique (IACM), João de Abreu, who told Lusa News Agency that the company has already submitted all necessary documents, adding: “We believe it will be flying in the country within two months.”

This was confirmed by both Ethiopian Airlines Regional Manager for South Africa, Abel Alemu, and Ethiopian Airlines Area Manager for Mozambique, Daniel Tsige, who says: “Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines is entering Mozambique’s domestic market and will start flying domestic soon.”

According to Tsige, the airline will operate one Boeing 737-800 and three Ethiopian Airlines Q-400 aircraft on its future domestic routes in Mozambique.

According to Tsige, Ethiopian Airlines is going through the final stages of securing its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from Mozambique Civil Aviation. “When finalised, we will fly in to all ten provinces of Mozambique from the hub, Maputo.”

Ethiopian Airlines is currently in the third of the five stages required to obtain an operator’s certificate to fly between provincial capitals and Maputo.

“The third stage consists of a thorough evaluation of all the manuals and documents that are required. This is the most important phase, but this is a large and experienced company, so the process will be much faster,” commented de Abreu.

The next two phases include demonstrating the company’s ability to comply with safety procedures on an experimental flight and the formal delivery of the air certificate, which will authorise the airline to fly in Mozambique.