Every year, Gurages who have families in the Gurage country return to it from almost all over Ethiopia. It diesn't natter in the far away Gonder or Dessie. Every year Gurages who work and live outside of Gurage, Christians return for Mesker celebrations, and Muslims for Arefa celebrations. Also for other celebrations in beteween such as for Eid el-fitr for end of Ramadan celebrations.
They plan throughout the year by saving money for this ocassions. Before they return, they buy clothes for immediate and extended familiies. Businesses in places such Merkato are brisk. Traders usually do not have enough staff to sell.
When they arrive in their villages, they give money to family and close relatives. They offer money to buy slaughter animals such as bora or bull, sheep or goats for the feasts during the Mesqel and Arefa celebrations.
The number of Gurages returning to Gurage during each of these holidays could be well more than the populations of Gambella and Harari states combined.
Ethiopian Airlines has failed to seize this travel business opportunity for political suppression of Gurage. It has not provided an airport. Therefore missing out on this annual migration rituals of both Christian and Muslim Gurages to and from Gurage. Gurages also suffer inconveniences from lack air travel and long and arduous travels by bueses which are not able to meet the needs of the high number of travelers.
One private airport and airplanes operator saw this unmet needs of Gurage travellers. Built an airport in the Ezha Wereda of 7bet. He provides an airtransport from Gurage and out all the year round.
Re: Ethiopian Airlines misses out passenger business to Gurage
ጉራጌ የራሱን መንገድ ሰርቶ ። የራሱን አቶቢስና ሎንቺና ኩባኒያ እያቆመ ። ዛሬ ደሞ በራሱ የግል መኪና የራሱን በተሰብ የሚጎበኝ ሕዝብ ነው። አሁን ፕላን ላይ ያሉት ፈጣን መንገድ ሲሰራ ጉራጌ ለመግባት 1 ሰዓት እንኳ አይወስድም ። ስላዚህ ዛሬ ላይ ጉራጌ የሚፈልገው ኦሮሞ ውስጥ የተደበቁትን ቦዘኔ ሽፍቶን ማጽዳት እንጂ አይሮፕላን አይፈልግም ። የጉራጌ ልጆች መኪና ። ጂፕና አቶቢሳቸውን እስከ ደጃፋቸው ድረስ ስለሚነዱ አይሮፕላን ይህን ያክል ጥቅም የለውም ። ጉራጌ የሚፈልገው ጥንካራ ያቶቢሶች፣ ጂፖች፣ እና ቫኖች ድርጅት ማቆምና እርስ በርሱ መነገድና ራሱን ማብለጸግ ነው ያለበት!