Only three weeks after launching services to South Africa, Eritrean Airlines has suspended flights.

The airline, which launched operations on May 7, said the prime reason for the suspension of services was a critical shortage of jet fuel at the airline’s home base of Asmara, which necessitated additional stops for fuel on both south- and northbound flights. As a result, the operational costs of the route had risen to prohibitive levels that were not offset by revenue from current passenger loads.

“Eritrean Airlines has taken this opportunity to review its South African future schedule in order to provide better arrival and departure times, as well as connections over Asmara,” The airline said in a statement to the press. “As soon as the fuel shortage problem has been overcome, the airline hopes to reintroduce its South African flights based on this new schedule.”