On Wednesday, Eritrean authorities announced the suspension of all Ethiopian Airlines flights to the East African nation, effective September 30.
Following a peace deal between the two neighbours in 2018, flights from Ethiopia to Eritrea resumed after a 20-year hiatus. A year later, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
“Ethiopian Airlines has received a notice from the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority through a letter indicating the suspension of all our flights to Eritrea, effective September 30, 2024,” the airline said on its Facebook page.
“The specific reasons for this suspension have not been disclosed to us,” it added.
Hanna Atnafu, a spokesperson for the airline, said the flight suspension was shocking, as they had recently received a letter from the Eritrean authorities to increase their flight frequency.
Ethiopian Airlines, owned by the government, is the largest airline in Africa in terms of revenue and profit.