Ethiopian Airlines restarts Addis Ababa - Hargeisa route and other options
Replies: 4 - Last Post: Jul 4, 2012 11:54 AM Last Post By: Euridice
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Ethiopian Airlines restarts Addis Ababa - Hargeisa route and other options
Last week we heard that Hargeisa airport was closing down for up to a year and now this has come out:http://somalilandpress.com/somaliland-ethiopian-airlines-to-resume-flights-to-hargeisa-29081
Another site reports this:
Ethiopian Airlines starting 10JUN12 is resuming service to Hargeisa in Somalia, where it’ll operate daily service on board Dash8-Q400 aircraft.
Schedule:
ET318 ADD0800 – 0930HGA DH8 246
ET308 ADD1530 – 1700HGA DH8 x246
ET309 HGA1000 – 1130ADD DH8 246
ET319 HGA1730 – 1900ADD DH8 x246
I cannot find anything about it on Ethiopian's website...because our internet is too slow to load the website. If anyone can post more information that would be useful. I've been using EA to and from Jijiga or Dire Dawa and continuing overland. I think I will continue to do this as the fees coming in and out of the country are exorbitant, even if you have a resident/work permit.
Jijiga Airport - Hargeisa takes and costs: 50 birr share taxi to Jijiga 10 minutes. 30 birr minibus to Wajaale 50 minutes. 130 birr Hargeisa 1.5-2 hours. Plus the waiting time. That's a little more than $10.
Twice a week the travel agents in Hargeisa run a shuttle to Jijiga airport which leaves at 07:00 and "guarantees" you will make the flight. It is included in the flight ticket which is $125. The flight is also $125 on the days when you get no shuttle. I showed them that a flight only costs $65 if bought in Ethiopia and they wouldn't believe it. $60 mark up on the days that there's no shuttle. This flight cannot be booked online.
A few weeks ago, when I needed to get to Addis, I got to the transport point for Wajaale at 06:00, we left at 06:45 (variable) were at the border for 09:00. I was in Jijiga by around 10:35 and found the Ethiopian Airlines Office at 11:00. They sold me a ticket and called me a taxi to take me there (was a condition of them selling me the ticket as they said the flight was going early) it went almost an hour early from Jijiga.I wouldn't feel comfortable making this journey with the ticket bought in advance as any delay and you will miss the flight.
The alternative is to continue on to Harar and pick up an overnight bus from near Tewdoros for 200 birr (they leave at 19:00 and arrive at 04:00) Mini buses also leave Jijiga for Addis Ababa as late as 11 am although they probably struggle to make it there before midnight. Finally, an advertised minibus service from Hargeisa to Addis Ababa exists, supposedly, for $50. It leaves at 05:00 and makes it into Addis at 19:00. Our cleaner swears she has taken it twice (she is from Addis) but when I went to the office and asked when they departed they declared that they didn't go to Addis. The building is a single room office with a sign outside saying HARGEISA-ADDIS and inside is a similar poster. Maybe they are actually a booze running set-up!
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I cannot find anything about it on Ethiopian's website...because our internet is too slow to load the website. If anyone can post more information that would be useful.Hargeisa isn't yet listed in their schedule nor in the timetable nor in the booking option available in their web. There's a press release in the web of Ethiopian airlines talking about the resumption of the flights from Addis Ababa to Hargeisa but I think you provided all the relevant info about the flights (including a schedule that seems unavailable in the web of Ethiopian at the moment. BTW, the web of Amadeus provides the same schedule you quoted so it seems to be the right one).
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Yes, they will resume flights on June 10th and they will continue to fly to Hargeisa even during the airport closure (if it ever does actually close) because they will be flying the Dash which is small enough to land in Hargeisa. This will definitely be better than the Nairobi-Hargeisa flights that will all be re-routed to Berbera.3
It would seem from the latest information that Ethiopian Airlines are starting flights to Berbera and not Hargeisa. This extract is from yesterday's Somalilandpress website.Ethiopian Airlines resumes flights to Somaliland
In a bid to expand its African network dominance, Ethiopian Airlines has resumed operations to Somaliland via Addis Ababa with new daily flights to Berbera, a port city in the northeast.
After four years since scrapping its services, a Q400 aircraft, carrying full passengers, arrived in Berbera on Sunday afternoon where it was greeted by officials.
Ethiopian adds Berbera to its growing list of international destinations
Mohamud Hashi Abdi, the Somaliland Minister of Aviation, was among a high-profile delegation on board the flight from Addis Ababa including senior representatives from the Ethiopian national carrier and investors from both countries.
Speaking at the welcoming ceremony, Mr. Abdi said the new route will increase trade ties between the two Horn of African nations.
Abdirisaq Khalif Ahmed, the minister of commerce said the deal will contribute greatly to Somaliland and the region as more people return from abroad to rebuild and invest in the country.
Ethiopian said it is happy to service its customers after a long absence.
The airliner was welcomed to the port city by government ministers, regional leaders, business community and customers as well as the deputy representative of Ethiopia’s government to Somaliland.
The national flag carrier of Ethiopia suspended its flights to Somaliland’s capital Hargeisa in 2008 due to security concerns. Hargeisa has said they have resolved most of the airline’s concerns and there is an ongoing infrastructure upgrade in both Berbera airport and Hargeisa’s Egal airport. Ethiopian will resume flights to Hargeisa after works are completed in six months time.
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Yes Ethiopian changed their plans unfortunately...all flights land in Berbera now for all airlines (except some small humanitarian flights) because Hargeisa airport is closed for renovations for the next few months. But yes, you can book Ethiopian flights from Addis to Berbera now, its up and running. Most airlines provide a bus shuttle between Berbera-Hargeisa so I imagine Ethiopian will as well.
