Ethiopian Airlines has suspended its flights to Asmara, Eritrea from September 30, following the local government’s freezing of the airline’s accounts, which prevented the repatriation of funds to Ethiopia.
CEO Mesfin Tasew cited increasingly hostile actions from Eritrean authorities, including unsubstantiated claims of passenger rights violations against the airline, culminating in the freezing of funds as the tipping point for the suspension.
The Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority had announced intentions to ban Ethiopian Airlines due to allegations of systematic issues like luggage theft, damage, and delays, alongside rising fares and other irregularities.
Ethiopian Airlines was a significant operator in Asmara, providing daily flights from Addis Ababa and accounting for nearly a third of the airport’s scheduled capacity
There are also scheduled service with Egyptair from Cairo, flydubai from Dubai International, Flynas from Jeddah and Turkish Airlines from Istanbul.
Eritrean Airlines discontinued services in 2008 and although it has a single B737-300 it has no scheduled services.
