Boeing 777F Ethiopian intercepted on Indonesia, forced to land

A Boeing 777 freighter from Ethiopian Airlines, which was flying a non-scheduled flight from Ethiopia to Singapore, was intercepted as it entered Indonesian airspace without a flyover permit. The aircraft was escorted by F-16 Indonesian fighter jets to Hang Nadim (BTH) airport on Batam Island, Indonesia.

On January 14, 2019, the aircraft, registered ET-AVN, was initially required to fly an empty ET-3728 flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Hong Kong, where it had to pick up the cargo. However, according to an executive from Ethiopia Airlines quoted by Aviation International News, the flight was modified at the last minute to deliver a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine to a seminar in Singapore.

After landing at Hang Nadim Airport (BTH), the flight crew was taken to a hotel while the aircraft was insured by military personnel, according to a spokesperson for Indonesian aviation. Two days later, the plane did not move.

Ethiopian airlines supported that did not attempt to obtain a flyover permit as "in accordance with Article 5 of the Chicago ICAO Convention, under which unplanned flight can fly over the airspace of a friendly country without prior notice authorization." The airline claimed that it was discussing the matter with the Indonesian authorities.

This interception could also be a demonstration of strength from Indonesia, as the country wishes to take control of the flight information region (FIR) on the Riau islands – out of which, Batam. This airspace was until now part of the Singapore FIR. "We want to show that our system is improving," said Maritime Affairs Coordinator Luhut Pandjaitan at a press conference, adding that "Indonesia can now monitor people entering our territory without identity or permission."

However, the director of Hang Nadim Suwarso Airport, quoted by the Jakarta Post said the Etiopia Airlines aircraft had already received direction from the Singapore FIR to land in Batam before the Indonesian Air Force intervened.