Not long ago, the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority announced that it would impose a ban on Ethiopian Airlines (EA) at the end of September.
Today, Ethiopia’s flag carrier wholly owned by the country’s government and Africa’s largest airline , announced that it has halted all flights to and from Eritrea.
According to Ethiopian Airlines, the air services were suspended because the blocking of its bank account in Eritrea has severely undermined its operational capabilities.
Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mesfin Tasew, announced today that the aviation regulatory authority had prohibited the transfer of funds from the airline’s bank account located in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. “This situation has rendered it unfeasible for us to access our financial resources,” Mesfin stated, adding that the airline had “no alternative but to halt all flights to Asmara.”
Earlier, the airline announced on X that it “regrets” the decision to suspend flights to the neighboring country due to “extremely challenging operating conditions it has faced in Eritrea that are beyond its control.” The airline said that it would re-book impacted passengers on alternative carriers at no extra charge or provide refunds.
Air travel between Ethiopia and Eritrea was reinstated six years ago following a suspension that lasted for two decades. The two neighboring East African countries were engaged in a border conflict from 1998 until 2018. A significant reduction in hostilities occurred in 2018 when Abiy Ahmed assumed the role of Prime Minister of Ethiopia and entered into a peace agreement with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki.
