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The first commercial flight between Ethiopia and Eritrea in two decades left Addis Ababa, after the two countries put an end to their fierce conflict in a blazing peace process.
Ethiopian Airlines stated that flight ET0312 to Asmara took off from Bole International Airport. To meet the overwhelming demand, he made a second flight within 15 minutes of the first.
"This day marks a unique event in the history of Ethiopia and Ethiopia," said the company's general manager, Tewolde GebreMariam, at a ceremony before the flight. "The fact that we take two flights at a time shows the eagerness of people."
An AFP journalist aboard the second flight said the flight attendants were serving champagne to pbadengers of all clbades and distributing roses to them. , one of Africa's fastest-growing carriers, said it would initially operate a once-a-day return flight between Addis Ababa and Asmara.
"With the demand we are seeing, I think we will increase the frequency to twice a day, three times a day and even more," said Tewolde.
He said the opening of Eritrean airspace to Ethiopian Airlines This would also mean more efficient routes to the Middle East.
Among the pbadengers on the first flight was former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, whose shocking resignation in February was the first step in a series of political reshuffles in Ethiopia. "I knew that one day it would happen," said Hailemariam about peace with Eritrea.
Abiy Ahmed, a former army officer and cabinet minister from April, succeeded Hailemariam in April. After announcing the liberalization of parts of the Ethiopian economy and the release of imprisoned dissidents, Abiy said last month that he intended to make peace with Eritrea after two decades of frozen relations.
Eritrea was once part of Ethiopia and encompbaded all of its coastline on the Red Sea until its independence in 1993. The demarcation of the shared border caused a conflict in 1998- 2000 which made 80,000 deaths before becoming an icy cold
Abiy stunned observers with his announcement that he would finally accept a 2002 UN-backed border demarcation. However, he has not yet announced the withdrawal of the troops.
He then made a visit to Eritrea, during which he and President Isaias Afwerki declared the official end of the war. Afwerki reciprocated with a state visit to Ethiopia a few days later. On Monday, Afwerki reopened the embbady of Eritrea in Addis Ababa
The meeting was well received by Ethiopians, who have close cultural ties with Eritreans. Many were cut off from their families during the long years of enmity
The rapprochement is expected to boost both nations, offering Ethiopia's booming – which is currently channeling its trade across Djibouti's ports – to Access to Eritrean shores.
Amnesty International said that renewed peace should be a catalyst for change in Eritrea, one of the most isolated nations in the world. Since the end of the war, Isaias has used the threat of Ethiopian aggression to justify a series of repressive policies, including an indefinite national service program that the UN has equated with slavery.
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