Clashes between Ethiopian federal troops and Tigrayan forces have erupted in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region, triggering the suspension of flights and raising fears of renewed instability in an area still recovering from a devastating war.
Security and diplomatic said that on Thursday hostilities broke out in recent days in Tsemlet, western Tigray, a disputed area also claimed by forces from the neighbouring Amhara region, which have yet to withdraw despite a 2022 peace agreement.
“The situation appears to be deteriorating,” a security source said on condition of anonymity.
Amid the unrest, Ethiopian Airlines suspended all flights scheduled for Thursday to Tigray, including services to Mekelle, Axum, Shire and Humera, according to information obtained by Addis Standard.
An Addis Standard reporter in Mekelle said airport staff were instructed to take a break for the day, while the airline’s ticket office remained open to provide limited services. Staff continued selling tickets for future dates, rescheduling flights and assisting passengers, but said they had not been informed of the reason behind the cancellations.
Passengers booked on Thursday’s flights received text messages notifying them of the suspension. One message read:
“Your flight ET0102 from ADD on 29 Jan 2026, at 08:10 AM has been cancelled due to unplanned circumstances.”
A diplomatic source told AFP that Tigrayan forces were facing the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) alongside Amhara militias. Local sources also confirmed clashes, while the federal army and Ethiopian Airlines had yet to issue official statements.
The renewed violence comes more than three years after a brutal war between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) erupted in November 2020, killing at least 600,000 people, according to the African Union, before ending with a peace deal in November 2022.
Despite the agreement, tensions have remained high. Hundreds of thousands of people are still displaced, and the region has been left deeply impoverished, worsened by sharp reductions in international humanitarian aid. Aid agencies estimate that up to 80 percent of Tigray’s population still requires emergency assistance.
Flights to Tigray are operated exclusively by Ethiopian Airlines, the state-owned carrier, making the suspension a significant disruption for residents and humanitarian operations in the region.
