Tuesday September 3, 2024
FILE - Ethiopian Airlines aircraft lined up at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The airline, Africa's largest carrier, has recently suspended all flights to Asmara, Eritrea, amid escalating diplomatic tensions and passenger mistreatment allegations.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier, has suspended all flights to Asmara, Eritrea, effective September 3, 2024, citing "very difficult operating conditions" in the country that are beyond its control.
The airline, which had resumed flights to Eritrea in 2018 after a two-decade hiatus following a historic peace deal, made the suspension announcement on its social media platforms late Monday. The decision follows a July notification from the Eritrean government that all Ethiopian Airlines flights to Eritrea would be halted starting in September.
The Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority accused Ethiopian Airlines of "systematic mistreatment" of Eritrean passengers. Allegations included theft of luggage, property damage, extreme delays, uncompensated loss of property, and inexplicable fare hikes. Despite multiple attempts to resolve these issues, Ethiopian Airlines and Eritrean authorities were unable to reach a satisfactory agreement.
"Ethiopian Airlines regrets to inform its valued customers travelling to/from Asmara that it has suspended its flights to Asmara effective September 3, 2024, due to very difficult operating conditions it has encountered in Eritrea that are beyond its control," the airline stated. The company did not elaborate on the specific challenges it faces.
Passengers affected by the suspension can either be rebooked on alternative airlines at no additional cost or receive a full refund. Ethiopian Airlines has urged customers to contact its global call center for assistance. Indirect flights to Asmara from Ethiopia beyond September 3 were still available on Ethiopian Airlines official website.
The suspension reflects escalating diplomatic tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, a relationship marked by conflict and fragile peace. The two countries have a long history of conflict, including a brutal border war from 1998 to 2000 that severed ties. Relations were briefly restored in 2018 after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed a historic peace agreement. However, tensions have resurfaced in recent years, particularly over Eritrea's alleged support for anti-government militias in Ethiopia and its exclusion from peace talks following the Tigray conflict.
In addition to geopolitical tensions, Ethiopia's quest to secure a port in the Gulf of Aden has further strained relations. Earlier this year, Ethiopia proposed a deal to gain access to a port in Somaliland, offering a stake in Ethiopian Airlines in return. The move has sparked a diplomatic rift with Somalia. As a direct result, Ethiopian Airlines recently faced a tense standoff with the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA). The dispute centred around how Ethiopian Airlines listed Somali destinations on its booking platforms, specifically its initial refusal to include "Somalia" alongside references to the city of Hargeisa in Somaliland. The SCAA issued an ultimatum demanding that Ethiopian Airlines comply with its directives or face suspension of all flights to Somalia. Ethiopian Airlines eventually complied with the SCAA's demands, updating its platforms just in time to avoid the suspension of its operations within Somalia.
While Eritrea's government has not publicly explained its decision to suspend Ethiopian Airlines flights, it has moved to secure alternative aviation partnerships. During a recent visit to Italy, President Isaias Afwerki secured an agreement with Italian Airlines to launch direct flights to Eritrea.
The suspension coincides with Ethiopian Airlines facing regional backlash over a separate incident where a Somali woman was forcibly removed from one of its flights. On July 19, a video captured by CNN correspondent Larry Madowo went viral, showing the woman being removed from flight ET308 after an apparent overbooking situation. The incident sparked online outrage, particularly within the Somali community, and led to widespread calls for a boycott of the airline. Ethiopian Airlines later issued a statement claiming the removal was due to overbooking. However, the affected passenger disputed this, stating she was stranded in Addis Ababa for 24 hours without assistance and was forced to delete video recordings by security forces.
Ethiopian Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance, is Africa's most profitable airline, and the suspension of its flights to Eritrea marks a setback in its regional operations. The airline's suspension of flights has intensified concerns over the future of diplomatic relations in the Horn of Africa, a region already mired in political and economic instability.