EWA Air (ZD, Dzaoudzi) suffered an inauspicious start to its operations on Wednesday, October 30, 2013 when Comorian authorities refused the airline permission to land at Moroni Int'l. In a tit-for-tat move, the French authorities have now banned Comorian carriers, among them Inter Îles Air (Anjouan), from operating to French territories. According to the Mayotte Hebdo newspaper, the standoff has now caused considerable disruptions to air operators from both sides. EWA launched flights to Nosy-Be, Madagascar on October 31 instead. It is to be recalled that despite being a part of the Comoros archipelago, Mayotte was the only island there that voted in referendums in 1974 and 1976 to retain its link with France and forgo independence. Moroni however, still claims sovereignty over the island.