Ethiopian Airlines resumed commercial flights between Addis Ababa and Mekelle on October 11, restoring air service to Ethiopia's conflict-hit Tigray region after a suspension since late September.
The state-owned carrier resumed services to Alula Aba Nega International Airport, the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported. The agency did not provide passenger figures, flight frequencies or estimates of financial losses from the suspension.
Passengers arriving in Mekelle welcomed the restored flights but stressed the need for lasting peace and reliable essential services. Ashenafi Solomon, who had been stranded in Addis Ababa during the suspension, told ENA that disrupted transport had affected trade and access to medicines. Fellow passenger Natnael Solomon said the reopening would allow families to reunite and interrupted work to resume.
Tigrayan fighters seized Mekelle's airport on September 23. Ethiopian federal forces were reported to have regained control by October 3, when the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) announced its withdrawal from the city.
Federal police subsequently deployed in Mekelle. Associated Press reported on October 9 that government offices remained closed and that the government-allied Tigray Peace Force had imposed an overnight curfew.
Fighting in January 2026 had also temporarily disrupted Ethiopian Airlines services to airports in Tigray. Territorial disputes, delayed disarmament and unresolved issues surrounding the return of displaced residents have continued to complicate implementation of the November 2022 Pretoria Agreement, which ended the region's two-year civil war.
Regional tensions have intensified amid Ethiopian accusations that Eritrea sent troops across the border and supported armed opposition groups, allegations Asmara disputes. Eritrea severed diplomatic relations with Ethiopia on October 1 following embassy closures and the expulsion of diplomats.
The United Nations has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and renewed dialogue under the Pretoria Agreement as fighting threatens to destabilise northern Ethiopia and the wider region.
ENA said flights to Axum and Shire were also expected to resume, without giving dates.
See IntelliNews: Clashes in Tigray, Ethiopian accusations of Eritrean incursion, fan fears of return to full-scale conflict
See IntelliNews: Eritrea cuts ties with Ethiopia as Tigray conflict threatens wider Horn of Africa instability