Mogadishu(Mogadishu24)-Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority on Wednesday said that it suspended an unscheduled, Ethiopian Arline flight heading to Hargeysa to land after confirming that the airline had no permission to do so.

“Today, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority took action to turn back an Ethiopian Airlines plane, Dash 8-Q400, flight number ET8372, from Somali airspace as it was found to be unauthorized. Adhering to international air rules and our rules, flights must obtain proper permission before entering airspace”, said the agency.

The statement said that the Authority emphasized that unlicensed aircraft will not be allowed to enter the country’s airspace, prioritizing order and cooperation with global counterparts.

The Aviations’ comment comes following reports of the two Ethiopian Airlines that were planning to land in Hargeysa, Somaliland today, but one of the flights carrying passengers landed while the other one was the plane in which the Government denied access to follow suit.

This also comes as the diplomatic relations between Ethiopian and Somalia worsened after the MoU between Somaliland and Ethiopia, leasing 20 kilometers of sea access to the Ethiopia.

Diplomatic efforts by the Inter-governmental authority on Development(IGAD) seems to have failed as Ethiopia rejected to attend IGAD summit in Kampala, Uganda which was to open tomorrow on Thursday, January 18, 2024.