Summary
- Ethiopian Airlines has banned matted woven bags from its network due to their incompatibility with baggage systems and damage to airport equipment.
- Dubai International Airport and Air France-KLM previously implemented similar bans due to concerns about the bags causing damage and disruption.
- Nigeria’s Federal Airports Authority has clarified that the ban only applies to Ethiopian Airlines, and the Nigerian government has no plans to ban the use of matted woven bags at its airports.
Ethiopian Airlines has introduced bans on matted woven bags due to issues with airport equipment, local media reports.
Also known as the “Ghana Must Go,” the bags gained notoriety in Nigeria in the 1980s following their usage by expelled Ghanaian immigrants. The bags have since become popular with the traveling public in West Africa due to their affordability and versatility, with different countries having different names for it.
System issues
Although a popular and cost-effective choice for many travelers, some airlines and airports have reported issues with processing the bags due to their incompatibility with some modern baggage systems.
In a statement shared by Ethiopian Airlines with the BBC on Friday, the airline noted that it had implemented the ban due to frequent incidents with it damaging the conveyor belts at airports. Passengers can still travel with the bag, provided it is “adequately packed in a carton or hardcover rectangular container.”
Ethiopian Airlines operates several direct routes into Nigeria from its Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) base. Major destinations include Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) in Lagos, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (KAN).
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Ethiopian added:
“Please be informed that effective November 25, 2023, the usage of Ghana Must Go to travel on our flight is hereby prohibited. The use of Ghana Must Go as a means of packing baggage has cost the airlines huge loss and also damaged the conveyor belt system, not only on our flight but also on other foreign airlines, hence the prohibition.”
Despite initial confusion over the policy, Nigeria’s Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) has noted that it would not be banning the bag, with the notice circled on social media applicable to only Ethiopian Airlines. Nigerian carriers were advised to inform their passengers and airline partners of the policy change; however, the Nigerian government has no plans to ban the use of the bag at its airports.
Similar limitations
In March 2017, Dubai International Airport (DBX) announced a sweeping ban on bags without flat surfaces from entering the airport. According to Vice President of Terminal Operations, Ali Angizeh, the irregularly shaped bags are not compliant with the airport’s modern baggage systems and frequently cause delays due to baggage jams. Like with Ethiopian Airlines, passengers can use the bag if packed in flat bottom cardboard boxes, which can be accessed at Dubai Airport.
Franco-Dutch aviation group Air France-KLM subsequently confirmed it would also be barring woven bags from its services due to issues with the material unraveling during transportation. The announcement was met with significant controversy, with Ghana’s Consumer Protection Agency citing concerns the decision may be discriminatory to West Africans. In an open letter to Air France-KLM, Director of the consumer watchdog, Nana Prempeh Aduhene, called on Air France-KLM to revoke the ban, adding,
“It is therefore an insult to our identity as Ghanaians and Africans in general who uses these matted bags, which is by our own make. This decision is discriminatory, racist in nature and offends our rights of choice.”
What are your thoughts on Ethiopian Airlines’ decision to ban matted woven bags? Let us know in the comments.