Ethiopian Airlines has resumed flights to some Middle East destinations after weeks of disruption caused by regional conflict, marking a partial restoration of the carrier's crucial connectivity between Africa and the Gulf.
Mesfin Tasew, chief executive officer of Ethiopian Airlines group, announced Tuesday that the airline has restored service to key destinations in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, based on ongoing safety assessments and real-time intelligence.
Tasew said the airline is restoring operations to destinations "where improvements are observed," according to Ethiopian Monitor.
Several routes remain suspended due to heightened security risks as the airline continues to assess conditions across the region. The carrier is monitoring the situation and making decisions based on safety evaluations.
Advertisement
The disruption has likely affected operations for flights linking Ethiopia to the Middle East, where a large Ethiopian diaspora lives and works. Ethiopian Airlines' Middle East routes serve as critical connections for passengers transiting through the carrier's Addis Ababa hub.
The resumption signals partial stabilization in regional airspace access for Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest flight carrier. The airline's hub-and-spoke model through Addis Ababa relies heavily on Middle East connections to maintain its position as the continent's dominant international airline. The carrier serves passengers across Africa who transit through Ethiopia to reach destinations in the Gulf and Asia, making the weeks-long disruption a significant operational challenge for the airline's network connectivity.
