Ethiopian Airlines Halts Tigray Flights After Opposition Alliance Forms

Ethiopian Airlines suspended all flights to Tigray on Wednesday morning, citing the prevailing situation in the northern region, as concerns mounted over a possible return to fighting between federal and regional forces.

The state-owned carrier said services to Mekelle, the regional capital, along with Axum and Shire had been halted. It did not elaborate on the reasons for the decision. No other airline operates scheduled flights to the region, which remains accessible only by chartered aircraft.

The move came three days after seven opposition groups, among them the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), announced the formation of a coalition they called the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival. The grouping has stated its aim of removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his government.

Abiy's Prosperity Party held on to power in a June general election that the main opposition parties boycotted.

The TPLF fought federal forces in a deadly conflict in northern Ethiopia that concluded with the signing of a peace agreement in November 2022. The suspension of commercial air links to Tigray's main cities is likely to deepen uncertainty over the durability of that settlement.