The Somali government’s request for Ethiopian Airlines to update its booking systems and website to show Hargeisa as part of Somalia rather than Somaliland has been “accepted and corrected.”

Ethiopian Airlines made this adjustment after the Somali government, through its Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), threatened to ground its flights to Somalia unless concerns over “violations of Somali sovereignty” tied to the airline’s destinations were addressed.

The flight to the city, which had been listed as “Hargeisa” on the Ethiopian Airlines website until this morning, was updated to “Hargeisa, Somalia” in the afternoon.

In a statement, SCAA revealed that it had been in correspondence with Ethiopian Airlines regarding the issue since August 14. Initially, the website referred to flights as “Hargeisa, Somaliland,” but this was recently changed to simply “Hargeisa” following a letter dated August 14. The SCAA insists that the airline should clearly state that Hargeisa is part of Somalia, emphasizing that no city should stand alone without its country code. “It has come to our attention that, instead of addressing the sovereignty issues outlined in our letter, Ethiopian Airlines has made adjustments to its flight operations by removing references to Somali destinations and retaining only airport codes,” the statement said.

Ethiopian Airlines sent a letter to the SCAA on Thursday, August 22, indicating that it is investigating the matter but expressing concerns about the tight deadline for a full response. “Hence, in the interest of maintaining the long-term relationship developed over the years, this is to kindly request you to give us more time to review the issues and come back to you with a response,” stated the letter signed by Mesfin Tasew, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Airlines Group.

However, the SCAA rejected the request, stating, “Given the technological capabilities available, we believe the necessary corrections should not take more than two days.”

The letter further warned, “Consequently, if the deadline is not met, the authority will have no option but to suspend the operations of Ethiopian Airlines in Somalia until this matter is satisfactorily resolved.”

Following this ultimatum, Ethiopian Airlines has agreed to make the adjustments requested by the Somali government.

Ethiopian Airlines has been flying to Somaliland for many years. Tensions between the two countries have simmered since Ethiopia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland in January, which officials in Hargeisa claimed would grant them recognition in exchange for leasing a 20-kilometer land along its coastline to Ethiopia. This deal, however, ruffled feathers in Somalia, which saw it as a breach of its sovereignty and territorial unity.