Ethiopian Airlines Halts Eritrea Flights Amid Unclear Operating Conditions

Ethiopian Airlines announced it has suspended flights to Eritrea, citing difficult operating conditions. The resumption of flights in 2018 came after a peace deal between the neighboring countries. The recent suspension signals a strain in relations but conflict is deemed unlikely for now. Ethiopia's PM previously earned a Nobel prize for the peace deal.

Ethiopian Airlines has suspended its flights to Eritrea, citing unspecified difficult operating conditions, the state-owned carrier announced on Monday. This comes after Eritrea stated it would halt all flights from Ethiopian Airlines by month-end, signaling a strain in relations between the countries.

Flights had resumed in 2018 after two decades of strained ties, following a peace deal that earned Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed a Nobel Peace Prize. Five diplomats indicated that the flight suspension reflects worsening relations between Asmara and Addis Ababa, although they noted that the risk of conflict resuming remains low.

The nations had previously severed ties in 1998, following a border dispute that sparked a two-year war. Relations soured again after Eritrea was excluded from peace talks that ended the 2020 conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region. Ethiopian Airlines expressed regret for the inconvenience and mentioned rebooking options or refunds for passengers affected by the suspension.

(With inputs from agencies.)