Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew responded to multiple allegations against the flag carries during a press briefing on Monday (Photo: Ethiopian Airlines/Facebook)Addis Abeba – Ethiopian Airlines has defended its transportation of live primates to the US for laboratory use as complying with “international aviation” rules, following criticism from the animal rights group PETA. In a press briefing held yesterday, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew responded to allegations that the airline flew 250 long-tailed macaques to a US importer that supplies monkeys for laboratory experiments. In a statement, the group accused Ethiopian Airlines of “facilitating their use in experimental procedures.”Earlier this month, two American and a UK citizen were arrested in Addis Abeba as they were preparing to stage a demonstration outside the airline’s headquarters demanding the Airlines to stop shipping endangered monkeys. However, Ethiopian Airlines claims the specific reasons were not properly communicated and said that it is “currently seeking clarification“. The CEO mentioned that in March, Eritrea’s Civil Aviation Authority had sent a letter to Ethiopian Airlines concerning luggage mishandling and requesting compensation for affected passengers.
