Ethiopian Airlines announced the suspension of flight operations to three airports in the Tigray region effective from Wednesday, citing the current security situation in the area. The affected destinations include Mekelle, Axum, and Shire. The airline stated in a public message that it would resume operations once conditions permit and apologized for disruptions to passenger travel.
The flight suspension followed reports that Tigrayan forces seized control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle from federal police overnight. Airport staff confirmed that operations ceased following the takeover, with employees instructed to return home due to the absence of scheduled flights. Flight tracking data corroborated the cancellation of air service between Mekelle and Addis Ababa.
The suspension reflects broader military developments in the region. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front announced late in the previous month that it had established an alliance with six additional armed groups operating across Ethiopia to challenge the federal government. The TPLF, which previously governed Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018 before losing power, has faced accusations from human rights organizations regarding forced recruitment activities conducted throughout the year.
The Tigray conflict previously devastated the region from 2020 to 2022, resulting in approximately 600,000 deaths according to African Union estimates before a ceasefire agreement took effect. Recovery has remained incomplete, with roughly one million people still displaced and key provisions of the peace accord unfulfilled. A fragile ceasefire held through late 2025, when renewed clashes emerged, prompting concerns about potential renewal of large-scale hostilities.
Ethiopia faces additional security challenges beyond Tigray, with concurrent armed insurgencies reported in its most densely populated regions of Oromia and Amhara, compounding the nation’s stability concerns.
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