Ethiopian Airlines has paused services to Mekelle, Axum and Shire after reports that Tigrayan forces seized Mekelle airport. Flightradar24 showed the Mekelle–Addis Ababa flight was cancelled. The move follows the TPLF’s announcement of an alliance with six armed groups amid accusations of forced recruitment and renewed clashes after the Pretoria peace deal.
Ethiopian Airlines Temporarily Suspends Flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire After Mekelle Airport Seizure
An Ethiopian Airlines plane on the tarmac at Manchester Airport in Manchester, UK, April 30, 2026 [Phil Noble/Reuters]
Ethiopian Airlines has temporarily suspended flights to three airports in northern Tigray—Mekelle, Axum and Shire—citing security concerns after reports that Tigrayan forces seized Mekelle airport.
In a message posted on Telegram, the carrier said the suspension would take effect from Wednesday “due to the current situation in the Tigray region” and apologised to customers for the disruption. The airline added it would notify passengers when operations resume.
Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed the scheduled Mekelle–Addis Ababa flight was cancelled on Wednesday morning. Local sources cited by Reuters and AFP reported that Tigrayan forces took control of Mekelle airport from federal police overnight.
An employee at Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle told AFP that while travelling to work their supervisor called the driver to say the airport had been seized by Tigray forces. “Since there were no flights, he told us to return home,” the employee said; a foreign security source in Ethiopia confirmed the account to AFP.
Wider Political Context
The suspension comes amid rising tensions in Ethiopia after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) announced an alliance with six other armed groups across the country, saying they aim to challenge Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. Rights groups have accused the TPLF of carrying out forced recruitment drives this year as it prepares for renewed fighting.
The TPLF ruled Ethiopia from 1991 until 2018, when Abiy’s rise to power sidelined the party. That shift helped precipitate a brutal civil war from 2020 to 2022. The African Union has estimated the conflict caused about 600,000 deaths before the Pretoria Peace Agreement ended open hostilities.
Despite the peace accord, recovery has been slow: roughly one million people remain displaced and portions of the Pretoria agreement remain unimplemented. An uneasy calm held until late 2025, when clashes resumed, raising fears of a return to large-scale conflict. Ethiopia is also confronting unrest in other regions, including Oromia and Amhara.
What This Means For Travelers
Passengers booked on flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire should contact Ethiopian Airlines for refunds, rebooking or travel advisories. The situation remains fluid and authorities and airlines may update schedules on short notice.
Sources: Ethiopian Airlines Telegram post; Flightradar24; Reuters; AFP; African Union estimates.
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