A second UAE airlift to Ethiopia

In late Oct 2023, there has been a clear uptick in cargo flights between the UAE and Ethiopia, similar in frequency to the airlift during the Tigray War in 2021. Between 27 Oct 2023 and 04 Nov 2023, a total of 24 cargo flights were identified. This includes 11 flights by UAE Air Force C-17A aircraft, 5 flights by UAE Air Force C-130Hs and 8 flights by commercial Ilyushin Il-76TD operators “Fly Sky Airlines” and “New Way Cargo Airlines” of Kyrgyzstan. In the 9 days after, 1 flight per day was identified on average. This blog post provides conclusive visual evidence for the existence of this airlift and includes a complete list of identified flights.

Background

During the Tigray War of 2021, I first presented a list of flights departing the UAE, visiting Addis Ababa Bole Airport (HAAB) and Harar Meda Military Airport (HAHM) in Ethiopia. Some people suspect that these flights deliver military aid from the Gulf country to Ethiopia.

My earlier reports about the 2021 UAE airlift to Ethiopia can be found in the two blog posts below:

Visual evidence

I was able to compare the list of flights presented below to acquisition dates of recent satellite imagery and found one match of particular interest: United Arab Emirates Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III reg. 1230 (callsign: UAF1225) was last tracked flying from the UAE to Ethiopia until around 10 minutes before a satellite image was made of the area around Harar Meda Military Airport.

Indeed the Skysat image confirms the presence of the United Arab Emirates Air Force cargo jet, the first known conclusive visual evidence for a C-17A at Harar Meda Military Airport.

Two visiting “Fly Sky Airlines” Il-76s were also captured on satellite imagery of Harar Meda Military Airport. They are UR-FSE (29 Oct 2023) and EX-76003 (10 Nov 2023), both shown below.

Many earlier flights were spotted by eyewitnesses on the ground in Ethiopia. This evidence may be added to this blog post in future.

List of flights

1. 27 Oct 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1224 UAF1225 tracked departing the UAE around 05:10 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia (private receiver) around 08:20 UTC. Tracked departing Ethiopia around 09:30 UTC (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 13:00 UTC.

2. 27 Oct 2023: “New Way Cargo” Il-76TD EX-76011 NWY9101 tracked departing Abu Dhabi International Airport (military apron) around 10:15 UTC to Harar Meda Military Airport at 14:30 UTC. Tracked departing Harar Meda Military Airport at 17:00 UTC, arriving at Addis Ababa Bole Airport 20 minutes later. Tracked departing Addis Ababa at 19:00 UTC, arriving to Abu Dhabi around 23:25 UTC. Timestamps confirmed by private receiver.

3. 28 Oct 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1223 UAF1224 tracked departing the UAE just before 08:30 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 11:55 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia just before 13:00 UTC (private receiver), returning to the UAE around 16:20 UTC.

4. 28 Oct 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1224 tracked arriving in Ethiopia around 09:20 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 09:55 UTC (private receiver), arriving to the UAE around 13:15 UTC.

5. 29 Oct 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1223 UAF1225 tracked departing the UAE around 05:45 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia 08:55 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia just after 10:00 UTC (private receiver). Tracked returning to the UAE around 13:20 UTC.

6. 29 Oct 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1228 UAF1224 tracked departing the UAE around 09:30 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 13:00 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 14:00 UTC (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 17:30 UTC.

7. 29 Oct 2023: “Fly Sky Airlines” Il-76TD EX-76006 FSQ4926 tracked departing the UAE around 03:30 UTC. Tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 07:30 UTC (private receiver). Tracked over Ethiopia around 10:47 UTC (private receiver). Tracked over Ethiopia around 03:30 UTC on 30 Oct (private receiver). Tracked returning to the UAE around 12:20 UTC. (Time gaps suggest route information is incomplete, perhaps with an intermediate stop)

8. 29 Oct 2023: “New Way Cargo” Il-76TD EX-76011 NWY9101 tracked departing Abu Dhabi International Airport around 04:30 UTC, arriving to Harar Meda Military Airport around 08:55 UTC. Tracked departing Harar Meda to Addis Ababa around 11:50 UTC. Tracked returning to Abu Dhabi from Addis Ababa, arriving around 18:25 UTC. Timestamps confirmed by private receiver.

9. 29 Oct 2023: “Fly Sky Airlines” Il-76TD UR-FSE FSU4812 tracked departing the UAE around 00:42 UTC. Tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 04:30 UTC (private receiver). Tracked over Ethiopia around 07:20 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 09:55 UTC (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 13:55 UTC.

10. 30 Oct 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1228 UAF1225 tracked departing the UAE just after 04:00 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 07:40 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 09:00 UTC (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 12:15 UTC.

11. 30 Oct 2023: “New Way Cargo” Il-76TD EX-71011 NWY9101 tracked departing Abu Dhabi around 07:55 UTC, tracked arriving to Harar Meda Military Airport just after 12:00 UTC. Tracked flying from Harar Meda to Addis Ababa around 13:50 UTC. Tracked returning to Abu Dhabi, landing around 20:40 UTC.

12. 31 Oct 2023: UAE Air Force C-130H 1215 UAF1217 tracked departing the UAE around 04:20 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 09:35 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 11:00 UTC (private receiver) and on 01 Nov 2023 around 08:30 UTC (private receiver). Tracked returning to the UAE around 13:40 UTC. (Aircraft did an overnight stop)

13. 31 Oct - 01 Nov 2023: “Fly Sky Airlines” Il-76TD EX-76006 FSQ4926 tracked departing the UAE around 23:45 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 03:55 UTC (private receiver). Tracked over Ethiopia around 07:20 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 12:45 UTC (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 16:40 UTC.

14. 01 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1226 UAF1224 tracked departing the UAE around 11:00 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 14:30 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 16:30 UTC (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 19:50 UTC.

15. 01 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1230 UAF1225 tracked departing the UAE around 05:10 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 09:15 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 10:25 UTC (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 13:45 UTC.

16. 01 Nov 2023: “Fly Sky Airlines” Il-76TD EX-76003 FSQ4923 tracked departing the UAE around 01:30 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 05:35 UTC (private receiver). Tracked over Ethiopia around 11:45 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 15:55 UTC (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 20:00 UTC.

17. 02 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1224 UAF1225 tracked departing the UAE around 05:10 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia just after 08:30 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 09:35 UTC (private receiver). Tracked returning to the UAE around 13:00 UTC.

18. 02 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1228 UAF1228 tracked departing the UAE around 05:20 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 11:55 UTC (private receiver). tracked departing Ethiopia around 10:30 UTC (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 13:45 UTC.

19. 02 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force C-130H 1217 UAF1217 tracked departing the UAE around 06:00 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 11:15 UTC (private receiver). Tracked over Ethiopia around 12:25 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia on 03 Nov around 09:20 UTC as UAF1217 (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 13:35 UTC as UAF1216. (Aircraft did an overnight stop)

20. 02 Nov 2023: “Fly Sky Airlines” Il-76TD EX-76006 FSQ4926 departed the UAE around 02:30 UTC, arriving to Ethiopia around 06:45 UTC (private receiver). Tracked over Ethiopia around 12:10 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 14:30 UTC (private receiver), returning to the UAE around 18:30 UTC.

21. 03 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force C-130H 1215 UAF1215 tracked departing the UAE around 04:00 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 09:15 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing from Ethiopia around 10:05 UTC (private receiver). Not tracked since.

22. 04 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1226 UAF1225 tracked departing the UAE around 04:40 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 08:12 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing from Ethiopia around 08:40 UTC (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 12:00 UTC.

23. 04 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force C-130H 1214 UAF1213 tracked departing the UAE around 04:40 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia (private receiver) around 09:55 UTC. Tracked over Ethiopia around 13:00 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 14:50 UTC (private receiver).

24. 04 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force C-130H 1216 UAF1211 tracked departing the UAE around 04:00 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 09:10 UTC (private receiver). Tracked over Ethiopia around 10:15 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing the UAE around 12:05 UTC. Tracked returning to the UAE around 17:05 UTC.

25. 05 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force C-17A 1226 UAF1223 tracked departing the UAE around 05:40 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 09:00 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 10:05 UTC (private receiver), tracked returning to the UAE around 13:30 UTC.

26. 05 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force 1225 UAF1225 tracked departing the UAE around 05:40 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 09:20 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 10:00 UTC (private receiver). Tracked returning to the UAE around 13:30 UTC.

27. 05 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force 1215 UAF1217 tracked departing the UAE around 04:10 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 09:20 UTC (private receiver). Tracked over Ethiopia around 10:50 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 14:00 UTC (private receiver). Tracked over the UAE on the next morning.

28. 07 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force 1224 UAF1229 tracked departing the UAE around 05:40 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 09:00 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 11:05 UTC (private receiver). Tracked returning to the UAE around 14:20 UTC.

29. 08 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force 1223 UAF1223 tracked departing the UAE around 05:10 UTC. Tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 08:50 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 10:45 UTC (private receiver), returning to the UAE around 14:00 UTC.

30. 10 Nov 2023: “Fly Sky Airlines” EX-76003 FSQ4923 tracked arriving to Addis Ababa Bole Airport around 02:00 UTC (private receiver). Tracked over Ethiopia around 03:45 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 08:35 UTC (private receiver). Tracked arriving to the UAE around 12:40 UTC.

31. 10 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force 1226 UAF1225 tracked departing the UAE around 04:20 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 08:00 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 09:20 UTC (private receiver). Tracked returning to the UAE around 12:30 UTC.

32. 11 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force 1225 UAF1225 tracked departing the UAE around 04:50 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 08:15 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 09:45 UTC (private receiver). Tracked returning to the UAE around 13:00 UTC.

33. 12 Nov 2023: UAE Air Force 1223 UAF1225 tracked departing the UAE around 06:10 UTC, tracked arriving to Ethiopia around 09:30 UTC (private receiver). Tracked departing Ethiopia around 10:50 UTC (private receiver). Tracked returning to the UAE around 14:00 UTC.

Flight information shown above was extracted from ADSBexchange and Flightradar24. Given that most of these aircraft do not transmit position data, also positionless data from a Mode-S receiver located in central Ethiopia was used. This third party data is partly unavailable to the general public.