By Andualem Sisay
Kemer yusuf, known as among the best Ethiopian singer of Oromo music, steps into the growing local flight business of Ethiopia by forming Oromia Airways jointly with two Ethiopians business men.

Dinku Deyasa, Engineer Elias Ebsa and the Toronto-based musician, have now established DEK Oromia Plc with an initial investment of 40 million birr (around 3.2 million USD).Three businessmen who joined together and formed Oromia Airways have now secured two aircrafts with 14 and 19 passenger seats, Captain Abiy Makonnen Beri, Chief Operating Officer of the airways told AfricaNews.

“We have finalized everything related to funding and regulations and ready to start operation before the end of the year 2009,” he said. The airline will start its operation with 20 employees at its Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa hubs.

Oromia Airways also plans to get registered in Uganda and start international flight services by flying to Djibouti, Khartoum and Nairobi, according to Dinku Deyasa, Executive Vice President of Oromia Airways.

According to the Ethiopian government aviation rule, an airline can only be able to have an airplane with less than 20 seats to provide local flight services. Meanwhile, few weeks ago CAA has finalized drafting a new air transport policy which will increase the number of former seats on private domestic flights to 50.

In 2008 - 2009 budget year, the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) granted operation licenses to a total of five private airlines with a registered capital of 120 million birr.

Amibara Agricultural Development PLc is licensed for pesticide spray and domestic cargo flight services. Teddy Air Transport, Tewodros Engineering Business Plc AberdAir Aviation and Oromia Airways are licensed for non-schedule passenger and cargo flight services.

Amibara Agricultural Development has become operational. It provides pesticide spray and domestic cargo flight service. Teddy Air and Tewodros Engineering Plc is owned by an Ethiopian businessman, Tewdros, who also owns a company called Rosseta. Rosseta last year bought a marble quarry from DMC Marbel, a sister company of DMC construction.

AberAir, which has fully transformed to local flight service two weeks ago was initially hired by Petronas, the Malaysian oil and gas giant which is prospecting for oil in Ethiopia. It is a private airline which provides charter flight service.

The company is owned by British Citizens and is based in Nairobi and registered in Ethiopia as a business of two Ethiopians with initial capital of 5 million birr. The operation of domestic passenger flight service is restricted only to Ethiopian citizens.

Currently there are 22 private investments on passenger, freight, spray and ground handling services with an estimated capital of 959,702,644 birr. However, only nine companies are currently operational.


PHOTO__Singer Kemer Yusuf