Ethiopian forces reportedly retake Mekelle airport after rebels seized three northern air gateways

Ethiopian federal forces have reportedly regained control of Mekelle’s airport, marking a reversal at an aviation gateway caught in renewed fighting in the country’s northern Tigray region.

• Ethiopian federal forces reportedly regained control of Mekelle airport on 3 October.
• The airport was among three northern facilities seized in September, disrupting civilian flights.
• The development brings military control of aviation infrastructure into focus.
• Passenger services and the condition of the airport require separate confirmation.

According to Reuters, three sources said government troops had recaptured Alula Aba Nega Airport. The agency could not independently verify their accounts, and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front could not immediately be reached for comment.

The development puts civilian aviation infrastructure at the centre of the conflict. On 23 September, the African Union documented the seizure and occupation of airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire, alongside the disruption of civilian air services.

The airport behind the flight disruption

Ethiopian Airlines suspended services to the three cities that day, citing the situation in Tigray.

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“The airline said it would announce when services resumed,” according to the substance of its statement reproduced by The Reporter Ethiopia⁠.

Its exact wording was: “ET will announce when the flights will resume.”

The reported change in control therefore raises a practical question for passengers, when can scheduled services safely return?

Military possession of an airport and its availability for commercial flights are separate matters. The sources reviewed for this report do not establish the airport’s operational condition or confirm that Ethiopian Airlines has reinstated its Mekelle service.

There is also no basis in those sources to describe the reported airport recapture as the reopening of all three suspended destinations.

A test for the peace agreement

The African Union previously described the occupation of the airports by Tigrayan forces as inconsistent with commitments under the Pretoria peace agreement, signed on 2 November 2022.

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That agreement remains the framework for resolving disputes between Ethiopia’s government and the TPLF, the organisation said in its September statement. It called for direct talks and restraint as renewed military escalation threatened the gains made since the earlier war.

The airport development also comes against a wider diplomatic backdrop. In a separate 1 October statement⁠, the AU expressed concern over heightened tensions between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt.

It urged the three governments to preserve communication channels and resolve their differences through diplomacy. That appeal establishes the regional concern surrounding the fighting, without proving that either neighbouring country participated in the airport operation.