Ethiopian Airlines, the state-owned carrier of Ethiopia, announced it has suspended all flights to neighboring Eritrea due to what it described as “very difficult operating conditions.”
This move follows an earlier statement from Eritrea indicating that it would suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights by the end of this month.
Ethiopian Airlines had resumed flights to Eritrea in 2018 after a 20-year hiatus, following a historic peace agreement that restored diplomatic relations between the two countries. This peace deal also earned Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.
Diplomatic sources have suggested that the suspension of flights is a sign of worsening relations between Asmara and Addis Ababa, though they downplayed the likelihood of renewed conflict.
The two nations had previously severed ties in 1998 when a two-year war erupted over a disputed border.
Eritrea had fought alongside Ethiopia during the conflict with regional forces from Ethiopia’s Tigray region, which began in November 2020. However, relations between the two nations soured after Eritrea was excluded from the peace talks that ended the Tigray conflict, and tensions have persisted, particularly due to the continued presence of some Eritrean troops in Tigray.
“Ethiopian Airlines regrets to inform its valued customers traveling 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 stated late Monday.
The airline has offered to rebook affected passengers on other airlines at no extra cost or provide refunds, though it did not elaborate on the specific challenges it faced in Eritrea.
Eritrea’s Information Minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Ethiopian Airlines is currently the largest airline in Africa by both revenue and profit, according to the International Air Transport Association.