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Home » Africa » Is Eritrean Airlines The Solution To My Dubai Dilemma?
AfricaDubai

Is Eritrean Airlines The Solution To My Dubai Dilemma?

Matthew Klint Posted onAugust 6, 2018November 14, 2023 11 Comments

a large airplane taking off

You know I love trying exotic airlines and you cannot get much more exotic than Eritrean Airlines. Is this the solution to my Dubai dilemma?

Last week, I asked you for suggestions on how I should get back to the USA from Dubai. You offered me many great options and I’m considering each option carefully: nothing is booked yet.

Today, however, I read that Eritrean Airlines is resuming service to Dubai after a long hiatus. The flag carrier of Eritrea has only one aircraft, a 737-300, which it flies to Addis Ababa, Cario, Khartoum, and Jeddah. Eritrean Airlines once had a far larger fleet of A319s, A320s, 757s, and 767s, but like many smaller African carriers, has struggled financially over the years. It also fought a costly war with its neighbor Ethiopia.

a screenshot of a website a couple of posters with a city and a bridge

As an aside, the resumption of commercial service between Asmara and Addis Ababa, which just occurred last month, is a huge deal. Eritrea split away from Ethiopia in 1993 and a bloody war ensued that killed over 80,000. But time has healed wounds and the two nations have re-established diplomatic relations…and now flights.

Small problem for me, though: I don’t know if the service will start in time for my trip later this month. If it does, I could fly Eritrean Airlines from Dubai to Asmara, spend a day there, then fly to the East Coast via Addis on Ethiopian Airlines. I flew three longhauls on Ethiopian Airlines last year and enjoyed all three flights:

  • Ethiopian Airlines 787 Business Class Reviews:
    • Toronto to Addis Ababa
    • Addis Ababa to Bangkok
    • Los Angeles to Dublin

While it might not make for the most interesting flight review, it could be interesting. I could also visit Dakar, Senegal or Accra, Ghana and then take the South African Airways nonstop into Washington Dulles.

CONCLUSION

I’ve explored almost all of Europe, much of Asia and South America, but very little of Africa. In my quest to visit every country in the world, I also want to fly as many local carriers as possible in Africa. This could well be the start. Let’s see if this service starts with just days notice, like the Addis Ababa route, or if it is months away.

a plane flying in the sky

images: Konstantin von Wedelstaedt / Wikimedia Commons

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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11 Comments

  1. Nick In Chicago Reply
    August 6, 2018 at 9:43 am

    Why not take Ethiopian from Dubai – Addis Ababa – USA?

  2. Frank Doyle Reply
    August 6, 2018 at 10:14 am

    Why post the 767 if it doesn’t even exist anymore?!

    • Matthew Reply
      August 6, 2018 at 11:03 am

      It is parked. With economic sanctions from Ethiopia lifted, it may open up opportunities to bring back this aircraft into service.

      • Sean M. Reply
        August 7, 2018 at 8:17 pm

        E3-AAO was the only 767-300ER operated by Eritrean Airlines and it was subsequently acquired by Loftleidir Icelandic in 2005. I then leased it from Loftleidir for Ghana International Airlines from 2006-7 after which it operated for Primera/JetX and then Air Niugini. It was scrapped in 2013 as its residual value was very low due to being an accident aircraft. The airframe was ex-Egyptair SU-GAO that was a near write-off in Harare in 2000.

        Bottom line, it’s never going to fly again and definitely not for Eritrean Airlines.

        • TEMP Reply
          May 14, 2019 at 6:08 pm

          Very late reply but.. I’m in Eritrea right now. A 767 is parked at Asmara airport and looks to be in Ok condition, clean and all engines are there.

  3. Sco Reply
    August 6, 2018 at 10:42 am

    Are Eritrean visas easier to get now? I haven’t looked into it in a couple years, but they used to be nearly impossible to get, with the few success stories I’d heard involving months of communication back and forth with the embassy.

  4. MeanMeosh Reply
    August 6, 2018 at 11:11 am

    What Sco said. That might be a fascinating trip report, but I always thought Eritrean visas were next to impossible to get. If you’re looking to see more of Africa, and want to piggyback SAA’s Dakar – IAD flight, maybe you could just fly from DXB to Dakar, take a look around, and then continue home from there.

  5. Sherif Reply
    August 6, 2018 at 12:56 pm

    DO NOT FLY ERITREAN AIRLINES!

    I had an Asmara to Khartoum flight cancelled 5 days in row I and other passengers got sick of dealing with them and flew via other cities (Dubai in my case, others flew via Cairo).

    They are a nightmare…

  6. Mick Reply
    August 6, 2018 at 4:29 pm

    25k to Dulles in business! I’ve wanted to try that route for a while.

    • Matthew Reply
      August 6, 2018 at 4:51 pm

      25K to Dulles? How?

  7. John Reply
    August 9, 2018 at 1:27 am

    As a backup, although it won’t expand your list of airlines flown, 85k MileagePlus BusinessSaver seats are opening up from Dubai to the US on Turkish, Swiss and Lufthansa.

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