Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to three cities in northern Ethiopia on September 23, 2026, after Tigrayan forces seized Mekelle Airport amid renewed fighting between regional and federal forces.
The state-owned airline halted services to Mekelle, Axum and Shire, citing the “current situation in Tigray region.” Local sources told Reuters that Tigrayan forces had taken control of the airport in Mekelle, the regional capital, from federal police overnight.
Ethiopian Airlines apologized to affected customers and said it would notify them when flights resume.
A taxi driver at Mekelle airport told The Associated Press that fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) were carrying light weapons and ordered him to leave, saying no flights would land. He reported hearing no gunfire during the takeover.
The suspension leaves the region without its regular airline service. Ethiopian is the only airline operating scheduled flights to Tigray.
The airport seizure came as federal and regional officials accused each other of starting another round of fighting.
Getachew Reda, an adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and a former TPLF leader, accused Tigrayan forces of attacking government positions in neighboring Afar and Amhara. Tigray’s regional government said its forces were responding to air and artillery attacks on September 22.
The fighting threatens the November 2022 peace agreement that ended the two-year war between the federal government and Tigrayan forces. Relations have deteriorated as each side accuses the other of violating the deal.
Air service had returned gradually after that conflict. Ethiopian resumed flights between Addis Ababa and Mekelle on December 28, 2022.
Daily flights to Axum restarted on June 9, 2024, after repairs to the airport’s airfield and terminal.
Ethiopian serves Axum and Shire with De Havilland Dash 8-Q400 turboprops and uses Boeing 737s on flights to Mekelle.