Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Tuesday that Italy had returned Ethiopia’s first-ever aircraft, nearly 90 years after it was captured by Italy’s fascist invading forces.
“Today is a day of great pride for Ethiopians as we celebrate the official handover of Tsehai by the Italian government,” Abiy said on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
His post was accompanied by a photo of a shiny red two-seater plane built in 1935 during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie.
“The Tsehai was the first aircraft built in Ethiopia in 1935 with the cooperation of Kaiser’s German engineer and pilot Ludwig Weber and other Ethiopians at the time,” Abiy said.
The aircraft was named after Emperor Selassie’s daughter Princess Tsehai, state company Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported on its website.
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According to the newspaper, the first flight took place in December 1935, when Weber flew for about seven minutes, 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa.
Historians say the plane was taken to Italy in 1935 after fascist dictator Benito Mussolini’s forces invaded Ethiopia and then Abyssinia.
“Tsehay is the only relic left of the aviation business of the 1930s,” Fana said.
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The handover of the plane took place during Mr Abiy’s visit to Rome for the African Summit hosted by Italy.
“I would like to express my great gratitude to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for her support over the past year to facilitate the return,” Abbi said.
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