I write my experience, as a warning for fellow hunters, who are considering flying with ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES (ETH from now), with their guns.
so last summer i contacted ETH and told them that i intended to fly from Greece to RSA, with my two shotguns. they replied that i had to fill some forms a week prior of dpt and did so.
i got in the plane at ATHENS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, after handling my guns to the security.
when i arrived at ADDIS, i was told by a police officer, that i had to open the case and identify the guns. although i told them i was only transit they insisted and i complied. so we went to the cargo area and after inspection of guns and docs, i flew to Johanessburg with no further problems.
two weeks later, having completed my hunt, i took the return flights. as expected i was asked again to do the same procedure at ADDIS, but this time, the officer at the cargo area, did not aprove my docs and asked for an ''official translation''!
No matter how hard i tried to explain to him that A) the guns particulars were in LATIN characters and B) that i had passed through the same airport with same guns and permits just two weeks ago, he would listen to nothing. as it was almost midnight, i could not do anything, but accept the room ETH gave me at the hotel of the transit area. needless to say how angry i was.
next morning, escorted by the ETH airport manager, went to the cargo area again and met an officer (of higher rank) who approved of my embarkation, after doing in less than ten minutes, a rough translation through GOOGLE. No apologies or excuses!
so, as next flight was the day after, i had to spend pointlessly 48 hrs at the airport htl.
so once again the Ethiopians, verified their well known stubborness and obviously i forwarn all hunters to avoid flying with ETH, especially if they carry guns.
NIKOLAOS OIKONOMIDIS
so last summer i contacted ETH and told them that i intended to fly from Greece to RSA, with my two shotguns. they replied that i had to fill some forms a week prior of dpt and did so.
i got in the plane at ATHENS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, after handling my guns to the security.
when i arrived at ADDIS, i was told by a police officer, that i had to open the case and identify the guns. although i told them i was only transit they insisted and i complied. so we went to the cargo area and after inspection of guns and docs, i flew to Johanessburg with no further problems.
two weeks later, having completed my hunt, i took the return flights. as expected i was asked again to do the same procedure at ADDIS, but this time, the officer at the cargo area, did not aprove my docs and asked for an ''official translation''!
No matter how hard i tried to explain to him that A) the guns particulars were in LATIN characters and B) that i had passed through the same airport with same guns and permits just two weeks ago, he would listen to nothing. as it was almost midnight, i could not do anything, but accept the room ETH gave me at the hotel of the transit area. needless to say how angry i was.
next morning, escorted by the ETH airport manager, went to the cargo area again and met an officer (of higher rank) who approved of my embarkation, after doing in less than ten minutes, a rough translation through GOOGLE. No apologies or excuses!
so, as next flight was the day after, i had to spend pointlessly 48 hrs at the airport htl.
so once again the Ethiopians, verified their well known stubborness and obviously i forwarn all hunters to avoid flying with ETH, especially if they carry guns.
NIKOLAOS OIKONOMIDIS
