Good afternoon,
Has anyone done the above? I am hearing that even if you are just connecting, you need an Ethiopian firearm permit? You have to exit, transit to another location, check guns and reclose then make connection. Is this true? How big of a pain? Our connection is only 2hrs.
Thanks in Advance

When transiting through Addis, the usual procedure for me was that an ET employee held a sign with my name on it as soon as I disembarked the plane. They would then escort me to a small room where all the luggage was processed. Ethiopian police would then verify the serial number and import/export docs along with the form you fill in for the airline. I usually make a 10 copies of all my paperwork and I just give each official one set. Once they checked the import/export docs. The other time they just verified the serial number as per the airline form.

Didn’t take long at all. The ET airline staff is with you all the time. They even fast tracked me through immigration.

quote:

Originally posted by MD375:
When transiting through Addis, the usual procedure for me was that an ET employee held a sign with my name on it as soon as I disembarked the plane. They would then escort me to a small room where all the luggage was processed. Ethiopian police would then verify the serial number and import/export docs along with the form you fill in for the airline. I usually make a 10 copies of all my paperwork and I just give each official one set. Once they checked the import/export docs. The other time they just verified the serial number as per the airline form.

Didn’t take long at all. The ET airline staff is with you all the time. They even fast tracked me through immigration.

I had the same experience. I rode a bus that nobody else was on to where they check, even held the plane for me to get back. I enjoyed flying Ethiopian Air, other that having to fly out of Washington.

So you have to go through immigration as well?

I'm thinking of doing the same thing except into Vic Falls. I've heard no bad reports.

I had a bad experience. Not sure what happened, but my guns never made it to Harare. Got taken down to the little room with guys w guns. My guns werent there. They asked me where they were, etc. Got a little tense and I told them I wanted some names and badge numbers, mentioned i was a lawyer, and they politely escorted me back to the plane. No guns in HRE.

On return, same deal. Got taken from the jetway back down to the same room. Guns were there on the ground. We opened them up, etc. I was escorted back. This time, they were nothing but nice. My outfitter (myles mccallum) had been on the phone during my hunt raising hell. Maybe that helped?

Anyway, its worth it to just fly to JHB on delta premium select and use Airlink. Way better experience IMHO. The night at the JNB isnt bad in the Intercontinental. Coming home is straight thru.

Although, I havent taken guns thru JNB...yet. That may be different.

I just transited Addis last week with a rifle. On the way over, no problems. All my stuff was delivered just as it should have been.
On the way back, I was boarding my flight to Chicago when I was informed that there was a "security check" required on my luggage and that I was not going to make my flight. Shit show evolved and I caught a flight to Dulles the next morning. Arrived Dulles too late in the evening to catch a connecting flight and of course NO LUGGAGE. Ethiopian folks were nice and paid for a hotel and gave me a meal voucher. Next morn, back to Dulles and US Customs. My stuff arrived on the morniing flight, I cleared Customs and caught an afternoon flight, DFW - to home.
Moral of the story, when you get to Addis, go to the gate and see if they want anything. I had 4 hours, plenty of time if I'd only known.

Here is a thread on another forum about this:
https://www.africahunting.com/...n-addis-abada.92133/
The OP missed his flight and had to stay overnight in Addis. Luckily he had a yellow fever cert or it would of been even more of an issue......
Bruce

Sounds like a clusterfuck to be avoided especially as I am traveling in a group with women, children and multiple gun carriers. Saeed, thank You for a site that allows this type discovery, it's invaluable.