Ethiopian Airlines may re-engage with Argentina by the end of the year
Since 22 June, Ethiopian Airlines has not landed in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, due to the anti-Covid-19 health restrictions in the country. Since then, Sao Paulo in Brazil remains its only passenger route in Latin America.
Ethiopian Airlines (ETH) could start flying to Buenos Aires again from 12 December. At least this is what appears in the reservation system of Africa's largest airline.
ETH plans to operate three flights per week to the Argentinean capital from that date. The operations will continue to be operated by a 270-seat Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (24 in business class and 246 in economy class). An official announcement from the airline is still awaited.
Ethiopia's state-owned flag carrier last flew to Buenos Aires on 22 June. "Due to the recently announced closure of the border between the country and the African continent by the Argentinean authorities, and the repeated administrative decisions restricting air transport, added to the schedule changes and cancellations of scheduled flights we have received in recent weeks, it has become impossible for the company to continue to offer a regular passenger and cargo service," he justified.
Since then, its Addis Ababa - São Paulo - Buenos Aires route has stopped in Brazil. Until then Ethiopian Airlines was planning to return to Argentina on November 1. However, the Ethiopian flagship warned that the suspension will remain in force "until the health situation improves, and the aviation authorities grant authorisations to plan regular flights".
In the absence of ETH, Argentina is deprived of direct flights to Africa, but also of some routes to Asia and the Middle East. Ethiopian Airlines began serving the Argentine city in March 2018, initially with 5 weekly flights, via São Paulo. But following the economic recession suffered by Argentina in 2019, the state-owned flag carrier had reduced to a frequency of 3 trips per week.
