Eritrean Airlines
Encyclopedia
Eritrean Airlines is an airline
based at Asmara International Airport
. Scheduled service had been discontinued since 2008, and the airline only operated a few hajj
flights every year. It is wholly owned by the Government of Eritrea, the airline was restarted under new management in 2011.
and Massawa
and sales agent for other major airlines flying to Eritrea. In May 2002 it was decided to expand into airline services. So, in a Boeing 767-300ER
leased from Boeing
was the first aircraft the airline took possession of; it was named Queen Bee. A second Boeing 767, a –200ER series, was bought in mid-2004 for 5.8 million.
The lease of the first Boeing 767 seems to have been replaced by an Airbus 320 in 2006 and then replaced again with a Boeing 757
in early 2007 and yet again replaced with a DC-9 in late 2007, ending up with an MD-83. The total fleet of the airline consists nonetheless of the one initially leased Boeing 767.
In April 2003, Eritrean Airlines started regular services between Asmara
and Frankfurt
, Milan
, Nairobi
and Rome
. In 2004, the airline added Amsterdam
as another destination and in 2005, services began to Djibouti
and Dubai
. Meanwhile, the Nairobi route was dropped. By 2006 the flights to Amsterdam had been dropped while flights to Milan remained seasonal. On September 21, 2006, Eritrean Airlines entered an accord with the Government of Pakistan
to start direct flights between Eritrea
and Pakistan
. Eritrean Airlines received permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan to start two flights a week each for Karachi
and Lahore
. The deal has duly materialized since then, with the commencement of online Eritrean services to Lahore via Dubai
four times per week, with full fifth freedom passenger and cargo traffic rights on Lahore - Dubai sector.
The airline announced in 2008 that it was commencing seasonal services to Bamako
, for Haj
travellers. Flights to Djibouti have been suspended since the end of 2008 due to renewed tensions along the two countries' border and flights to Frankfurt have been temporarily cancelled as of the summer of 2009.
In June 2011, a senior Eritrean Foreign Ministry official said that the US Administration has applied pressure prohibiting companies from leasing aircraft to Eritrea
. He stated that Washington is resorting to such illegal acts as part of its hostile attempts of stiffening anti-Eritrea sanctions, at a time when the Eritrean government is engaged in programs of buying and leasing of passenger planes under a new Pakistani management.
Eritrean resumed operations on 16 July, they also introduced a new livery on the first A320 received which was used for the inaugural service. Eritrean Airlines has already begun its operation anew on 16 July 2011 from Asmara
to Lahore
, Dubai
, Cairo
, Rome
, Jeddah
, and Khartoum
. A second A320 was added in October and flights to Karachi
were launched, they also plan to restore domestic services once the currently stored Dornier fleet is made airworthy. Long term fleet plans may include introduction of wide body aircraft like the Airbus A330, and new Boeing 737s to replace the A320
Eritrean are to launch Johannesburg
and Nairobi
from December.
Future services to Assab and Massawa in Eritrea and to Frankfurt and Lagos are planned.
Eritrean are also said to have six Dornier aircraft, which are stored in Eritrea.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based at Asmara International Airport
Asmara International Airport
Asmara International Airport, formerly known as Yohannes IV International Airport is an airport in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea.In 2004, the airport served 136,526 passengers ....
. Scheduled service had been discontinued since 2008, and the airline only operated a few hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
flights every year. It is wholly owned by the Government of Eritrea, the airline was restarted under new management in 2011.
History
The airline was established in 1991, but in name only, serving as the ground handling agent at Asmara International Airport and at AssabAssab
Assab is a port city in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea on the west coast of the Red Sea. In 1989, it had a population of 39,600. Assab possesses an oil refinery, which was shut down in 1997 for economic reasons...
and Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
and sales agent for other major airlines flying to Eritrea. In May 2002 it was decided to expand into airline services. So, in a Boeing 767-300ER
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
leased from Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
was the first aircraft the airline took possession of; it was named Queen Bee. A second Boeing 767, a –200ER series, was bought in mid-2004 for 5.8 million.
The lease of the first Boeing 767 seems to have been replaced by an Airbus 320 in 2006 and then replaced again with a Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
in early 2007 and yet again replaced with a DC-9 in late 2007, ending up with an MD-83. The total fleet of the airline consists nonetheless of the one initially leased Boeing 767.
In April 2003, Eritrean Airlines started regular services between Asmara
Asmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
and Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. In 2004, the airline added Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
as another destination and in 2005, services began to Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
and Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. Meanwhile, the Nairobi route was dropped. By 2006 the flights to Amsterdam had been dropped while flights to Milan remained seasonal. On September 21, 2006, Eritrean Airlines entered an accord with the Government of Pakistan
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
to start direct flights between Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Eritrean Airlines received permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan to start two flights a week each for Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
and Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. The deal has duly materialized since then, with the commencement of online Eritrean services to Lahore via Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
four times per week, with full fifth freedom passenger and cargo traffic rights on Lahore - Dubai sector.
The airline announced in 2008 that it was commencing seasonal services to Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
, for Haj
Háj
Háj may refer to:* Háj in Turčianske Teplice District, Slovakia* Háj in Košice-okolie District, Slovakia...
travellers. Flights to Djibouti have been suspended since the end of 2008 due to renewed tensions along the two countries' border and flights to Frankfurt have been temporarily cancelled as of the summer of 2009.
In June 2011, a senior Eritrean Foreign Ministry official said that the US Administration has applied pressure prohibiting companies from leasing aircraft to Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
. He stated that Washington is resorting to such illegal acts as part of its hostile attempts of stiffening anti-Eritrea sanctions, at a time when the Eritrean government is engaged in programs of buying and leasing of passenger planes under a new Pakistani management.
Eritrean resumed operations on 16 July, they also introduced a new livery on the first A320 received which was used for the inaugural service. Eritrean Airlines has already begun its operation anew on 16 July 2011 from Asmara
Asmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
, and Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
. A second A320 was added in October and flights to Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
were launched, they also plan to restore domestic services once the currently stored Dornier fleet is made airworthy. Long term fleet plans may include introduction of wide body aircraft like the Airbus A330, and new Boeing 737s to replace the A320
Destinations
Eritrean Airlines serve the following at July 2011:- Egypt
- CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
- Cairo International AirportCairo International AirportCairo International Airport is the busiest airport in Egypt and the primary hub for Star Alliance member EgyptAir. The airport is located to the north-east of the city around from the business area of the city.The airport is administered by the Egyptian Holding Co...
- Cairo
- Eritrea
- AsmaraAsmaraAsmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
- Asmara International AirportAsmara International AirportAsmara International Airport, formerly known as Yohannes IV International Airport is an airport in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea.In 2004, the airport served 136,526 passengers ....
Hub
- Asmara
- Italy
- RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
- Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport
- Rome
- Kenya
- NairobiNairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
- Jomo Kenyatta International AirportJomo Kenyatta International Airport-Charter airlines:-Cargo airlines:-Other facilities:The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has its head office in the KAA Complex on the airport property. African Express Airways has its head office on the airport property...
[begins 15 December]
- Nairobi
- Pakistan
- KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
- Jinnah International AirportJinnah International AirportJinnah International Airport is Pakistan's largest international and domestic airport. It is located in Karachi, Pakistan, and its passenger terminal is also commonly known as the جناح ٹرمینل Jinnah Terminal... - LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
- Allama Iqbal International AirportAllama Iqbal International AirportAllama Iqbal International Airport is the second-largest civil airport in Pakistan, serving Lahore, the capital of Punjab province. Originally known as Lahore International Airport, it was renamed in 2003 for Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal, the Islamic poet-philosopher who was a major advocate for the...
- Karachi
- Saudi Arabia
- JeddahJeddahJeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
- King Abdulaziz International AirportKing Abdulaziz International AirportKing Abdulaziz International Airport is an aviation facility located 19 km to the north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Named after King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the airport is Saudi Arabia's third largest air facility and busiest airport by passenger. The airport occupies an area of 15 square kilometers...
- Jeddah
- South Africa
- JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
- OR Tambo International Airport [begins 15 December]
- Johannesburg
- Sudan
- KhartoumKhartoumKhartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
- Khartoum International AirportKhartoum International AirportKhartoum International Airport is an airport in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.It will be replaced with a new airport 40 kilometers south of the centre of Khartoum by 2012...
- Khartoum
- United Arab Emirates
- DubaiDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
- Dubai International AirportDubai International AirportDubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
- Dubai
Eritrean are to launch Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
from December.
Future services to Assab and Massawa in Eritrea and to Frankfurt and Lagos are planned.
Fleet
As of November 2011, the Eritrean Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 18.8 years:- 2 Airbus A320-200 (operated by NouvelairNouvelairNouvelair Limited Company is a Tunisian airline with its registered office in Tunis, while its head office in the Dhkila Tourist Zone in Monastir, near the Hôtel Sahara Beach. The airline operates tourist charters from European cities to Tunisian holiday resorts...
) - 1 Boeing 767-200ER
Eritrean are also said to have six Dornier aircraft, which are stored in Eritrea.
External links
- Official website
- Eritrean Airlines (Archive)