First commercial flight in 20 years between Ethiopia and Eritrea takes place

NPR: Ethiopia’s “bird of peace” has landed.

After two decades of bloody conflict, Ethiopia and Eritrea have been repairing their relationship with remarkable speed following a peace deal reached last week. On Wednesday, a new milestone was marked — the first commercial flight between the neighboring countries in 20 years.

The historic flight included roses and champagne for passengers, Agence France-Presse reports. And demand was so high that Ethiopian Airlines followed the first flight with a second one just 15 minutes later, the news agency says.

The first flight was “greeted by dancers waving flags and flowers,” Reuters reports.

Ethiopian Airlines celebrated the achievement in a tweet, adding the hashtag #familyreunion.