Worku Ayetenew’s Aviation Firm Granted Air Operator Certificate
The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) has issued an Air Operator Certificate to privately-owned Gold Star Aviation and calls for more private sector investment in the industry.
The sector regulator granted the license to Gold Star to start flying in Ethiopia after concluding its five-stage standard registration process.
The decision takes the number of certified private air transport service providers in the country to 13.
Gold Star Aviation received the certificate in a handover ceremony held at ECAA’s headquarters on Friday.
Its Accountable manager, Tsyon Shiferaw appreciated the Authority and its inspectors for their support during the painstaking registration process.
The five phases licencing process involves pre-application, formal application, Document evaluation and Inspection and finally Certification
ECAA’s Director General Getachew Mengiste congratulated the company for completing all the procedures successfully, and finally getting certified.
– Call for private investment –
Getachew also urged the company owned by business-tycoon Werku Ayetenew, not to limit themselves to only air transport service.
Gold Star is the second private firm to be granted the air operator certificate in less than four months. The ECAA issued a license to Air Express Africa Plc in July, 2022.
However, the level of private investment in Ethiopia’s aviation sector leaves much to be desired.
“Given Ethiopia’s major share in Africa’s aviation industry, the level of private involvement in the sector is relatively very low,” said ECAA Director General Getachew.
He said ECAA “highly encourages” private investment in the aviation sector, and pushes to create a conducive policy and working conditions.
“The sector’s unexplored venues for private investment are not only air transport but also infrastructures such as airstrips,” he added.
Gold Star Aviation is among the growing list, Worku Ayetenew’s investment portfolio which includes a five billion birr edible oil plant inaugurated last year. Last August, he also launched a process to build a cement plant with an investment capital of USD one billion.
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