The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has called on Ethiopia to strengthen incentives, working conditions, and resources for aviation inspectors, warning that recent salary increases alone may not be sufficient to retain experienced technical personnel amid the country’s rapidly expanding aviation sector.
The recommendation followed a safety oversight audit conducted from October 14 to 27, 2026, which identified staffing, training, organisational capacity, and regulatory implementation as areas requiring further attention at the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA). The audit team, led by Ousman Kemo Manjang, acknowledged improvements in inspectors’ compensation but stressed that additional measures are needed to recruit, train, and retain qualified staff, alongside adequate equipment and working facilities .
ECAA Director General Yohannes Abera noted that the government had approved a new incentives and benefits package for regulatory staff just two weeks before the audit debriefing. However, ICAO emphasised that support must extend across the authority’s technical divisions to meet growing oversight demands .
The staffing concerns come as Ethiopia’s aviation sector undergoes significant expansion. According to audit results presented, Ethiopia recorded an overall effective implementation score of 85.76 per cent, a substantial increase of 22.84 percentage points from the 62.92 per cent recorded in the previous audit in 2015 . This improvement reflects broader sectoral growth: Ethiopia now has 269 registered aircraft, 13 air operators, and six aviation schools, compared to just 99 aircraft, nine operators, and four schools in 2015. The country’s capacity has expanded to accommodate 700 aircraft .
Despite the overall progress, the audit revealed declines in several technical and organisational categories. Organisational oversight fell from 77.78 per cent to 72.73 per cent, while airworthiness oversight dropped from 98.06 per cent to 89.38 per cent. Air navigation services declined from 87.38 per cent to 80 per cent, operations from 83.9 per cent to 80.16 per cent, and personnel licensing edged down from 88.61 per cent to 87.91 per cent. By contrast, legislation scores improved from 76.19 per cent to 90.91 per cent, and aerodromes and ground aids rose slightly from 91.6 per cent to 91.97 per cent .
Beyond staffing, the audit identified legislative shortcomings. Concerns were raised about provisions in Ethiopia’s 2020 aviation law regarding the recognition of certificates and licences issued by other states under Article 83 bis arrangements, with auditors noting that the wording makes recognition discretionary when it should be mandatory under international frameworks. The audit also found that Ethiopia had not formally notified or published significant differences between its national regulations and ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices in its Aeronautical Information Publication .
Yohannes stated that a draft revised aviation law has been submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval, intended to address deficiencies in the existing framework. The assessment of Ethiopia’s State Safety Programme recorded a score of 81.25 per cent, with ICAO noting that while much of the necessary documentation exists, the country needs to strengthen safety data collection and analysis to support a more mature, risk-based oversight system .
This audit follows years of engagement between ICAO and Ethiopian authorities. A 2025 kick-off meeting involving senior government officials and industry stakeholders reviewed corrective actions taken since the 2015 audit and aligned on collaborative preparations for the 2026 assessment . Aircraft accident and incident investigation was excluded from the latest assessment, with ICAO indicating that a separate audit will cover that area and its findings will be combined with the current assessment in a consolidated report .
