Ethiopian Airlines Halts Flights to Eritrea Amidst Deteriorating Relations
Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier by revenue and profit, has announced the suspension of its flights to neighbouring Eritrea, citing unspecified difficult operating conditions in the country.
This development comes as diplomatic relations between the two countries show signs of significant strain.
The airline, in a statement released on Monday night, expressed regret over the decision, which took effect today – September 3rd, 2024.
“Ethiopian Airlines regrets to inform its valued customers travelling to/from Asmara that it has suspended its flights to Asmara… due to very difficult operating conditions it has encountered in Eritrea that are beyond its control,” the statement read.
The airline assured passengers that efforts would be made to rebook them on other airlines at no additional cost or provide refunds, though it did not elaborate on the specific challenges faced.
The move follows Eritrea’s earlier declaration that it would suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights by the end of the month, marking a significant downturn in the relationship between the two nations.
Flights between Ethiopia and Eritrea had only resumed in 2018, following a landmark peace agreement that ended two decades of hostility.
This peace deal, which led to the resumption of diplomatic ties, earned Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.
However, recent developments suggest a growing rift between Addis Ababa and Asmara.
According to five diplomats who spoke to Reuters, the suspension of flights is a clear indication that relations have soured, though they noted that the likelihood of renewed conflict remains low for the time being.
The history of tension between Ethiopia and Eritrea is long and fraught; the two countries severed ties in 1998 after a two-year war erupted over a disputed border, leading to a prolonged stalemate.
Although Eritrea supported Ethiopia in the conflict against Tigray regional forces that began in November 2020, relations deteriorated again after Eritrea was excluded from the peace talks that ended the conflict two years later.
Additionally, the continued presence of some Eritrean troops in Tigray has further strained ties.
Eritrea’s Information Minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, has yet to comment on the situation, but the suspension of flights by Ethiopian Airlines shows the growing challenges in maintaining the fragile peace that has existed between the two nations since 2018.
