Ethiopian Airlines halts flights to Eritrea due to challenging operating conditions, signaling a strain in relations between the two nations.
Bollywood Fever: Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopia’s state-owned carrier, has announced the suspension of its flights to neighboring Eritrea, citing unspecified “difficult operating conditions.”
The decision comes shortly after Eritrea declared that it would suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights by the end of the month.
The flights between Ethiopia and Eritrea had only resumed in 2018 after a two-decade hiatus, following a historic peace deal that reestablished diplomatic relations between the two countries.
This agreement, which ended years of hostility and a brutal border war, earned Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.
However, the recent suspension of flights has raised concerns about a potential deterioration in the relationship between Asmara and Addis Ababa.
According to five diplomats, this move is a clear indication that relations have significantly soured, although the risk of renewed conflict remains low for now.
Ethiopia and Eritrea had severed ties in 1998 when a two-year war broke out over their disputed border.
While Eritrea later fought alongside Ethiopia during the Tigray conflict that erupted in November 2020, relations between the two nations deteriorated after Eritrea was excluded from the peace talks that ended the conflict two years later.
Additionally, tensions have been exacerbated by the continued presence of some Eritrean troops in the Tigray region.
In a statement released late Monday, Ethiopian Airlines expressed regret over the suspension, stating, “Ethiopian Airlines regrets to inform its valued customers travelling to/from Asmara that it has suspended its flights to Asmara effective Sept. 3 … due to very difficult operating conditions it has encountered in Eritrea that are beyond its control.” The airline did not elaborate on the specific conditions leading to the suspension.
Ethiopian Airlines assured affected passengers that it would attempt to rebook them on other airlines at no additional cost or offer refunds.
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel has not yet responded to requests for comment on the situation.
Ethiopian Airlines is recognized as the largest airline in Africa by revenue and profit, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), making this suspension a significant development in the region’s aviation landscape.
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