Ethiopian Airlines has begun restoring a limited number of flights to the Middle East after weeks of disruption caused by conflict in the region, Mesfin Tasew, group chief executive officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Airlines told local media on Wednesday.
Tasew said the airline has resumed daily services to key destinations in the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, alongside a daily flight to Dammam in Saudi Arabia and a reduced service to Amman in Jordan.
The move follows a broader suspension of flights by international carriers after fighting escalated across parts of the Middle East, prompting widespread airspace restrictions and safety concerns.
Ethiopian Airlines, which previously operated more than 100 weekly flights to the Gulf and neighboring markets, halted a significant portion of its network shortly after the conflict began.
Tasew said the airline is restoring operations “where improvements are observed,” adding that decisions are based on ongoing safety assessments and real-time intelligence.
Despite the partial resumption, several routes remain suspended, including flights to Doha in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, as well as Tel Aviv and Beirut. The airline said these destinations remain affected by heightened security risks.
The disruption has weighed on passenger volumes, particularly on routes linking Ethiopia to the Gulf, a corridor that serves a large diaspora workforce and business travel flows. In response, the airline has sought to offset losses by strengthening capacity across other international destinations within its network.
Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier by passengers and fleet size, has built its hub strategy around connecting traffic between Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia via Addis Ababa. The Gulf region represents a critical segment of that model, both for labour mobility and transit passengers.
The carrier said it will continue to monitor developments in the region and adjust its schedule accordingly, prioritizing operational safety while gradually restoring connectivity where conditions allow.
MG/abj/APA