Air Travel Disrupted in Ethiopia Amid Rising Tensions

Mon Feb 02 2026 16:15:39 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Fears of renewed conflict in the Tigray region lead to the cancellation of flights. Ethiopian Airlines halts services, impacting transportation in and out of northern Ethiopia.

Due to escalating fears of conflict in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region, Ethiopian Airlines has cancelled flights between the capital, Addis Ababa, and cities in Tigray. Tensions have increased, prompting concerns about renewed clashes. The airline cited 'unplanned circumstances' as the reason but has not provided further details. Reports indicate skirmishes between military forces and Tigray fighters, raising alarms over stability in the area following a fragile peace agreement.

Passenger flights between Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, and cities in the northern Tigray region have been cancelled amid fears of a return to conflict, with reports of clashes in one area.

Ethiopia Airlines, which operates all routes in the country, sent passengers a text message about the cancellations citing 'unplanned circumstances'. Neither the airline nor the government has commented further.

A BBC reporter in Tigray's main city of Mekelle confirmed the news from airport staff who had been told not to go to work.

A 2022 peace deal to end a brutal civil war in Tigray has been unravelling as tensions grow over disputed territory and ahead of June's elections. There are reports of clashes between the federal army and Tigray fighters in Mai Degusha, a contested area of Tselemti district in western Tigray.

During the conflict, forces from the neighbouring Amhara region occupied the fertile area of western Tigray, which remains a source of dispute.

The government has stated that territorial disputes will be settled through a referendum, but around a million people who fled during the war remain in makeshift camps throughout Tigray, and it is unclear whether they will get a vote.

Sources also report new military movements in southern Tigray, raising concerns of renewed conflict.

Ethiopian Airlines has not yet issued an official statement or explanation regarding the suspension of its flights. Buses are still operating between Addis Ababa and Tigray, though they may face disruptions.

Relations between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the government have been deteriorating, and following the Pretoria deal, the TPLF sought its status as a political party to be reinstated, facing roadblocks.

An African Union envoy estimated that 600,000 people were killed during the Tigray war, with all parties accused of gross human rights abuses, including the mass killing of civilians.