BY TOM CHIAHEMEN
The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), has described as false and baseless statements circulated by the Kenyan Air Traffic Controllers Association in their circular of 30 August 2018 regarding the safety of Ethiopian airspace following the illegal strike of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) in Ethiopia.
In a statement issued in Addis Ababa on Sunday, the ECAA assured the public as well as airlines, national civil aviation authorities and international and regional bodies that following the illegal strike by ATCs in Ethiopia, “the Area Control Center (ACC) in Addis Ababa is being manned by adequate number of well trained, highly capable instructors and professionals who are current for the positions with the necessary ratings and validation in accordance with ICAO Annex 1 provisions. “
Similarly, statement, signed by Biniham Demissie, Team Leader Media Relations, Corporate Communications , Ethiopian Airlines,it said, the approach and aerodrome positions are also manned with professionals possessing all the qualifications.
“The controllers that have come in for support or assistance following the illegal strike were all assigned with the necessary orientation and on the job trainings before they were released solo, per the standard practice,” the statement added.
“With regard to the specific false statements and outright lies contained in the circular of the Kenyan Air Traffic Controllers Association, these can be easily verified as all ATC activities and communications are recorded and protected,” it noted.
