Players in Ethiopia's fledgling private aviation industry are pleading for help, claiming unfair competition practices drives them out of business, further prolonging their recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to decimate air passenger numbers.

With many airlines risk bankruptcy due to a fall in revenues and lack of financial support to remain afloat, the private carriers cite uninclusive regulation and a lack of access to hangars and runways as constricting factors behind their struggling ventures.

Over the last seven decades, aviation has been nearly nonexistent beyond the national carrier, the Ethiopian Airlines. It dominates the airlines market and flies to 22 domestic destinations across Ethiopia. The excessively protective aviation policies espoused by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) have deprived the country of thriving aviation industry, unlike in neighbouring Kenya, where over 50 private aviation companies operate. There are eight private aviation firms in Ethiopia, with three more lined up to join.

National Airways & National Aviation College is one of these early entrants but grappling to remain in business. The change in passengers` behaviour following the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions, and the ensuing economic crises have resulted in a dramatic drop in demand for air travel services, according to its CEO, Abera Lemi (Captain).

His company operates with five aircraft and more than 50 employees.

"Our existence hinges on the will of the authorities," Abera told Fortune.

The private carriers allege that a lack of hangar space is forcing them to take their planes abroad, mainly to Kenya and South Africa, for maintenance work, leaving them with large bills in foreign currency. Their plea before the authorities to be granted land to erect hangers remains unanswered.

"It's on hold by the Ministry of Transport," said Girma Gebre (captain), general manager of East African Aviation.

The Ministry, however, retorts that hangar space is out of its scope. The Ministry is a regulatory body, with no mandate to leasing the operators a hangar, according to Dagmawit Moges, minister of Transport.

Hangars are hardly the only problem as airport runways, too, seem to be hard to access for private aviators.