No Drone Flies Over Addis Ababa Until Further Notice

The National Intelligence and Security Service has stopped issuing permission to fly any drone over Addis Ababa and its surroundings, for an indefinite period, with effect from the day of the notice. Tikvah Ethiopia carried the announcement on Tuesday evening and Fana Television published the service's statement shortly after.

What the notice says

The service's notice covers drones "and other similar flying bodies", which is broader than the hobbyist camera drones most people picture. It states that aircraft of this kind operating in and around the capital are already being monitored and controlled using integrated anti-drone technology, and warns that operators will be identified and face legal action.

There is no stated expiry. There is no published exemption process. The notice does not say whether permits already granted are suspended or void.

Who this lands on

A blanket ban on aerial work over the capital is not only a hobby restriction. Survey and mapping contractors, construction progress monitoring, utility and infrastructure inspection, broadcast and events coverage, real-estate marketing and the small delivery pilots that have been testing in Addis all depend on being able to apply for a flight. For the duration, none of them can.

Firms with contracts that specify aerial deliverables are the ones with an immediate problem, because the ban removes the permission, not merely the convenience. There is no indication of a compensation or force-majeure position from any authority.

Open

How long is indefinite, whether existing permits survive, whether any category — mapping, agriculture, state media — can apply for an exception, and which body an operator appeals to. None of that is in the notice. The ban arrives against a deteriorating security backdrop: the BBC reported explosions heard in the capital on Thursday, a week after fighting broke out north of Addis Ababa between the army and a new alliance of armed groups.

Sources: Tikvah Ethiopia, 30 September 2026, Fana Television, 30 September 2026, BBC News, 1 October 2026