The bags, preferred by many travellers across West Africa, are causing damages to the conveyor belts at various airports, the national carrier has said.
The bags are commonly referred as “Ghana Must Go” an expression loaded with dreadful history. The phrase is rooted in campaigns in the 1980s in the West African country of Nigeria in which a large number of migrants from neighbouring Ghana were forced out of the country. Many of the migrants expelled from the country carried the now unfortunately named bags.
The red and blue checked bags are also known by other names in different countries across Africa.
Ethiopian Airlines, the continent’s largest carrier, serves many travellers in West and other parts of Africa. Its expansion efforts include acquiring stakes from other smaller airlines throughout the continent. The airline has a number of domestic and international flight routes from Nigeria’s main cities especially the commercial hub, Lagos.
The “Ghana Must Go” bags are popular among traders but, according to Ethiopian Airlines, they are also incurring “significant costs.” However if the bags are “adequately packed in cartoon or hardcover rectangular container,” passengers can still use them. In its decision, Ethiopian Airlines follows in the footsteps of Air France which had banned the bags in its flights six years ago.