Ethiopian Airlines Suspends Flights to Three Tigray Airports as Conflict Escalates

Ethiopian Airlines has suspended flights to three airports in the northern Tigray region following a renewed escalation of tensions and reports that Tigrayan forces have taken control of Mekelle airport.

The airline announced the suspension on Wednesday, September 23, citing the “current situation in the Tigray region.”

Flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire airports have been temporarily suspended, with the airline saying it would notify passengers when operations resume.

“We sincerely apologise to our valued customers for any inconvenience caused by this suspension. We will inform you once flight operations resume,” Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement posted on Telegram.

Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 also showed that a scheduled flight between Mekelle and Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, had been cancelled on Wednesday morning.

The suspension followed reports that Tigrayan forces took control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle from federal police during an overnight operation.

An airport employee told the AFP news agency that staff members were instructed to return home after their supervisor informed them that the airport had been taken over by Tigrayan forces.

The development was also reportedly confirmed by a foreign security source based in Ethiopia.

The latest incident comes amid rising tensions between the Ethiopian federal government and forces linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

On Sunday, the TPLF announced an alliance with six other armed groups in Ethiopia, saying the coalition would seek to remove the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed from power.

Rights organisations have also accused the TPLF of carrying out forced recruitment campaigns this year as concerns grow over the possibility of renewed conflict in the region.

The TPLF dominated Ethiopian politics from 1991 until 2018, when Abiy Ahmed came to power.

Relations between the federal government and the Tigray leadership subsequently deteriorated, eventually leading to the devastating Tigray war, which began in 2020.

The conflict lasted for two years and resulted in widespread displacement and a major humanitarian crisis. The African Union has estimated that about 600,000 people died during the war.

Hostilities formally ended with the Pretoria Peace Agreement in November 2022, but significant challenges remain unresolved.

About one million people are still displaced, while some provisions of the peace agreement have yet to be fully implemented.

An uneasy calm persisted for several years before clashes resumed in late 2025, fuelling concerns that Ethiopia could once again face a major conflict in Tigray.

The situation is further complicated by ongoing armed rebellions and security challenges in other parts of Ethiopia, including Oromia and Amhara, two of the country’s most populous regions.

The latest flight suspension underscores the growing security concerns in northern Ethiopia and could further disrupt movement and commercial activity in the affected areas.

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