Eritrea to Suspend Ethiopian Airlines Flights to Asmara Starting September 2024

Eritrea’s Civil Aviation Authority has officially informed Ethiopian Airlines that it will suspend all of its flights to the country effective September 30, 2024. The notice, dated July 21, did not specify reasons for the suspension, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to seek further clarification and express its commitment to resolving the matter amicably.

In a detailed letter to passengers, which was obtained by ch-aviation, the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority accused Ethiopian Airlines of engaging in what it described as “consistent and persistent malicious trading practices.” The authority’s grievances include allegations of luggage theft, pilferage, damage, prolonged flight delays without adequate compensation, unjustified price hikes, and other operational irregularities. It noted that its repeated attempts to address these concerns with Ethiopian Airlines have been unsuccessful.

Ethiopian Airlines plays a crucial role in connecting Eritrea with the rest of the world, operating twice daily flights on weekdays and three times daily on weekends from Addis Ababa International to Asmara. The airline utilizes B737 and B787 aircraft for these routes. According to ch-aviation’s schedules module, Ethiopian Airlines holds a significant 33.6% market share by scheduled weekly capacity out of Asmara, competing closely with flydubai.

The potential airspace restrictions could further complicate matters for Ethiopian Airlines. While Eritrea has not yet moved to restrict Ethiopian-registered aircraft from its airspace, any future closure could force Ethiopian Airlines to reroute much of its traffic through Djibouti airspace, especially given the ongoing closure of Sudanese airspace to commercial flights. This could strain the already tense relations between Ethiopia and Djibouti, further affecting Ethiopian Airlines’ operational routes.

Eritrean Airlines, the state carrier of Eritrea, has been inactive since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and has historically relied on leased capacity. The airline’s operations and fleet have been limited, with no active flights since early 2020.

This development is particularly poignant given the historical context of Ethiopia and Eritrea’s relationship, which has been marked by decades of conflict followed by a peace agreement in 2018, for which Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize. However, despite the resumption of flights following the peace agreement, tensions have been escalating in recent years, underscoring the complexity of the bilateral relations between the two nations.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com