Ethiopian Airlines resumed its scheduled flights between Addis Ababa and Mekelle on Sunday 11 October, reopening the main air link to the capital of Tigray after an interruption that began on 23 September.
A first aircraft landed at Alula Aba Nega International Airport on Sunday morning, according to the Ethiopian News Agency and Fana Media Corporation. The airline had reopened bookings on 9 October, announcing that flights would resume two days later.
Flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire had been suspended after a renewed offensive by Tigrayan forces and the capture of several regional airports. Forces allied to the federal government regained control of Mekelle in early October, but the security situation remains unstable, according to the Associated Press.
The restoration of the service reduces Mekelle's air isolation and re-establishes a fast channel for business travellers, families, light freight and certain medical products. No figures have been released on flight frequency, expected passenger numbers or the financial cost of the interruption.
Services to Axum and Shire had not yet resumed as of 12 October. Ethiopian state media indicated that they could be restored later, without giving a firm date.
The resumption to Mekelle therefore represents a partial restoration of the network in Tigray. It signals neither the full return of regional services nor the end of the risks that led the airline to suspend operations in September.