Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has issued an urgent call for the release of one of its pilots who has been jailed in Mozambique. 

Ryan Koher and two South African volunteers were detained in in the coastal city of Inhambane last month, while loading supplies into an aircraft that were to be taken to church-run orphanages in other parts of the country. 

"Ryan Koher did nothing wrong," MAF President and CEO David Holsten said in a statement.

"His wife and children deserve to have him back home in time for Christmas, and the organisation that serves the orphans in northern Mozambique needs the supplies he was trying to deliver when he was wrongly detained. 

"I urge Christians around the world to pray for Ryan's safety and swift release, and call on those in power both in Mozambique and here in the U.S. to do everything they can to resolve this wrongful detainment."

The 31-year-old has been conducting these annual supply charter flights to the orphanages since 2014.

Although neither of the three men jailed have been charged with a specific crime, it is understood that, due to the flights' destination, government officials believed they were supporting insurgent activity in the north of the country. 

According to MAF, embassy officials attempted to meet with Koher in mid-November 16 but were denied access. They later learned that Koher had been moved to a high security prison in another city. 

Hoslten continued: "Over the last couple of years, he [Koher] and his wife have worked hard to learn the language and culture of Mozambique to better serve those who rely on our service. 

"Understandably, this situation has been very challenging for the family. We fully believe in Ryan's innocence, and we are all praying that this issue will be resolved very soon with the charges dismissed and Ryan released."