Air Travel to Mekelle Restarts After Ethiopian Forces Retake Tigray Capital

Commercial air travel to Mekelle has resumed after Ethiopian federal forces recaptured the capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, reopening an important connection following weeks of renewed conflict.

Passengers arrived at Mekelle airport on Sunday for the first time in almost three weeks. Ethiopian Airlines had suspended flights to Mekelle after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front seized the city and its airport on September 23. The airline also halted services to Axum and Hire.

Services resume after recapture

Federal forces retook Mekelle on October 3. The recapture was followed by the departure of Tigray People’s Liberation Front fighters and leaders from the city.

Among those welcomed at the airport were Getachew Reda and intelligence chief Redwan Hussein, who were greeted by supporters. Reda, an adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, told the gathering: “I would like to assure you on this occasion that we will bring visible change, a change beyond mere hope.”

Unconfirmed reports indicated that Mekelle could receive about five flights a day, with additional services possible if demand increases. The reported schedule has not been confirmed.

Renewed tensions in Tigray

The return of flights comes amid renewed fighting that has weakened the 2022 peace agreement that ended a devastating two-year civil war in Tigray.

Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium estimate that about half a million civilians died during the war as a result of violence, famine and the collapse of health services.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front has also joined six other opposition groups in an alliance seeking to oust Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Meanwhile, tensions between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea have raised fears of a wider conflict.

Details about the renewed fighting and the broader regional concerns remain limited in the verified information available.