Ethiopian Airlines Group has been served with a legal demand notice for compensation amounting to One Million United States dollars (US$1,000,000) following the alleged loss and prolonged delay of checked baggage belonging to two Ghanaian passengers.
The passengers, a Private Legal Practitioner and a businessman, are residents of Kumasi and were travelling on Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 927 from Addis Ababa to Accra on January 3, 2026.
According to a formal demand notice dated January 5, 2026, issued by their solicitor, Dr Sylvester Nyamekye, Esq., the passengers’ checked baggage failed to arrive at Kotoka International Airport upon completion of their journey.
Details provided in the legal demand notice indicates that the affected baggages bore tag numbers FZ 772048, FZ 772047, FZ 772046, and FZ 772045, with a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) reference number 0004859 issued after the incident was reported to the airline’s ground handling staff.
Despite following all required reporting procedures, the baggage has allegedly not been delivered after what the solicitor describes as an unreasonable delay, or remains unaccounted for.
The legal team argues that Ethiopian Airlines is strictly liable under the Montreal Convention of 1999, an international treaty governing air carrier liability, to which both Ethiopia and Ghana are signatories.
The notice specifically cites:
• Article 17, which establishes liability for loss, damage, or delay of checked baggage; and
• Article 22, which provides for monetary compensation within prescribed limits.
The solicitor states that the incident has caused the client’s financial loss, forced expenditure on essential replacement items, as well as serious inconvenience and disruption to their personal and professional activities.
As a result, Ethiopian Airlines has been formally demanded to pay US$1 million as damages covering the value of the missing items, replacement costs, and compensation for inconvenience and incidental losses, allegedly within the maximum liability allowed under the Convention.
More baffling to the passengers is the attitude of the Ethiopian Airlines country manager and staff in Accra who have not been responsive to calls made to them, creating a serious disappointment.
The airline has been given seven (7) days from receipt of the notice to resolve the matter amicably. Failure to do so, the solicitor warns, will lead to serious regulatory action and legal proceedings against the airline, at its own cost and risk.
The legal notice emphasises that the demand is issued without prejudice, with all rights of the clients fully reserved.
As of the time of filing this report, Ethiopian Airlines has not publicly responded to the allegations.
