Ethiopian Airlines Cancels Flights to Tigray Amid Rising Tensions

Ethiopian Airlines has canceled all flights scheduled for Wednesday morning to the troubled northern region of Tigray. This decision comes amid escalating tensions following the formation of an alliance of seven opposition groups, including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, united with the goal of removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed from power. The airline has suspended flights to Mekelle, Axum, and Shire, although access to these cities remains possible via charter flights.

On October 7, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines, a government-owned carrier, announced the cancellation of all flights to Tigray due to the increasing risk of conflict between federal and regional forces. This suspension comes just three days after the opposition coalition was formed by seven groups opposing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. The alliance emerged following the June general elections, which were boycotted by the main opposition groups and resulted in the victory of Abiy’s Prosperity Party.

The airline did not provide further information, but cited the current security situation as the reason for halting flights to Tigray’s capital Mekelle, Axum, and Shire. Despite this, chartered flights continue to serve these locations. No other airlines currently operate regular flights in this area.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front had previously been engaged in a deadly conflict with federal forces in northern Ethiopia, a confrontation that ended with a peace agreement signed in November 2022. On Sunday, the opposition groups announced the formation of a new coalition called the “Ethiopian Peoples Forces Alliance for Survival.”