Story perspectives

Alliance seizes Tigray airports, Ethiopia Airlines suspends flights

By Drooid · Sep 27, 2026, 2:32 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

TPLF Alliance Captures Airports

TPLF and six groups formed an alliance to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
The alliance seized Mekelle, Axum and Shire airports, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights in Tigray.
Federal forces reported killing more than 270 rebel fighters in Amhara during the latest clashes.
UN migration data show about three-quarters of a million people remain displaced in Tigray after the earlier war.

Summary

Ethiopian Airlines Cancels Flights

The birr fell from 57 to 145-160 per US dollar, a 165% loss.
The IMF-World Bank $10.5 billion programme includes a $464 million disbursement on 1 July 2026.
Privatisation plans target Ethiopian Airlines and Ethio Telecom, despite the coalition.
Coffee farms in Oromia and gold mines in Benishangul-Gumuz face risk from the alliance.
Ethiopian Airlines cancelled flights to Lalibela after Fano forces seized army convoy in North Wollo.

History

Historical Context

In May 1991 the TPLF-led EPRDF captured Addis Ababa, ending the Derg and establishing a transitional government that introduced ethnic federalism. Under Prime Minister Meles Zenawi the coalition later clashed with Oromo and Amhara groups, sparking the 2020 Tigray War. The 2025 seizure of Mekelle airport mirrors that 1991 shift, when the TPLF once fielded about 80,000 fighters.

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TPLF Alliance Captures Airports

TPLF and six groups formed an alliance to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
The alliance seized Mekelle, Axum and Shire airports, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights in Tigray.
Federal forces reported killing more than 270 rebel fighters in Amhara during the latest clashes.
UN migration data show about three-quarters of a million people remain displaced in Tigray after the earlier war.

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