Date: September 23, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopian Airlines said on Wednesday that it had suspended flights to three airports in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, as tensions in the area intensified and local sources reported that Tigrayan forces had taken control of Mekelle airport.
The airline said flights to Tigray’s regional capital, Mekelle, as well as the cities of Shire and Axum, had been suspended “due to the current situation in Tigray region.” The carrier did not provide further details about the circumstances behind the decision.
Two local sources told Reuters that Tigrayan forces had taken control of Mekelle airport from federal police overnight. The forces previously fought Ethiopia’s federal government during the country’s 2020-2022 civil war.
The reported airport takeover comes amid renewed political and security tensions in Tigray, raising concerns over the stability of a peace agreement that ended the two-year conflict in November 2022.
Spokespeople for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Ethiopia’s federal government did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, is the political party that governs the Tigray region and led the area during the civil war. On Sunday, the TPLF announced that it had formed an alliance with six other armed groups from across Ethiopia with the stated aim of overthrowing Abiy’s government.
The development has added to concerns about a possible deterioration in Ethiopia’s security situation, particularly because the TPLF was the main force involved in the previous conflict with federal forces.
The war in Tigray lasted from 2020 until a peace agreement was reached in November 2022. Researchers have estimated that hundreds of thousands of people died during the conflict as a result of fighting, famine and the collapse of healthcare services.
Although the peace agreement ended the major fighting, disputes have continued over territory and other unresolved issues. The status of western Tigray remains contested, while the disarmament of Tigrayan forces has also been delayed.
The suspension of Ethiopian Airlines services is significant because air travel provides an important connection between Tigray and the rest of Ethiopia. Mekelle, Shire and Axum are among the region’s principal cities, and disruptions to air services can affect passenger movement as well as wider commercial and humanitarian activity.
The latest developments have renewed attention on the fragile security situation in northern Ethiopia. For now, Ethiopian Airlines has not announced when flights to the three Tigrayan airports will resume, while federal authorities have yet to publicly comment on the reported takeover of Mekelle airport.
The developments remain fluid, with the reported formation of an armed alliance and the change in control of the airport adding to uncertainty over whether tensions can be contained without a broader return to armed conflict.