By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
Addis Ababa, 23 September 2026 Ethiopian Airlines temporarily suspended flights to northern Ethiopia's Tigray region on Wednesday, amid growing fears that tensions between the federal government and regional forces could escalate into a wider conflict.
The airline said flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire had been suspended "due to the current situation in Tigray," but gave no further details. Ethiopian Airlines is the only carrier operating scheduled flights to the region, although it remains accessible by chartered aircraft.
The suspension came three days after seven Ethiopian opposition groups, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), announced an alliance opposed to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government.
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Separately, Reuters cited two local sources who said Tigrayan forces had taken control of Mekelle airport overnight from federal police. Ethiopian Airlines did not mention the reported takeover in its announcement. Neither the federal government nor the TPLF immediately responded to Reuters' requests for comment.
The Ethiopian government and the TPLF signed a peace agreement in November 2022 that ended their war. Relations have since deteriorated, with each side accusing the other of violating the agreement.