▁E rit re an , ▁is ▁the ▁national ▁air line ▁of ▁E rit rea . ▁Based ▁at ▁As m ara ▁International ▁Airport , ▁it ▁is ▁wh olly ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁E rit rea . ▁Sch eduled ▁service ▁had ▁been ▁dis cont in ued ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁air line ▁operated ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁ha j j ▁fl ights ▁every ▁year . ▁The ▁air line ▁was ▁restart ed ▁under ▁new ▁management ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁and ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Nas air , ▁a ▁priv ately ▁owned ▁company , ▁merged ▁with ▁government - owned ▁E rit re an ▁Airlines , ▁to ▁form ▁Nas air ▁E rit rea . ▁ ▁E rit re an ▁Airlines ▁has ▁been ▁b anned ▁from ▁flying ▁into ▁the ▁European ▁Union ▁since ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁air line ▁was ▁nomin ally ▁established ▁in ▁, ▁serving ▁as ▁the ▁ground ▁handling ▁agent ▁at ▁As m ara ▁International ▁Airport ▁and ▁at ▁Ass ab ▁and ▁Mass awa . ▁It ▁also ▁acted ▁as ▁sales ▁agent ▁for ▁other ▁major ▁air lines ▁flying ▁to ▁E rit rea . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁to ▁expand ▁into ▁air line ▁services . ▁In ▁, ▁an ▁ex - E gypt A ir ▁ 1 4 - year - old ▁Bo eing ▁ 7 6 7 - 3 0 0 ER ▁was ▁le ased ▁from ▁Bo eing ▁and ▁used ▁to ▁start ▁operations ▁between ▁As m ara ▁and ▁Amsterdam