# Flights resume to Mekelle after Ethiopian forces retake Tigray capital from insurgents

*Monday, October 12, 2026 at 6:15 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-10-12T06:15:45.280Z (2h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Africa
**Importance**: 7/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/20340.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

---

**Deck**: Commercial flights have restarted to Mekelle after Ethiopian forces recaptured the Tigray regional capital and its airport, restoring an air link that had been cut for almost three weeks.

Passenger flights landed at Mekelle airport on 12 October for the first time in almost three weeks, after Ethiopian federal forces retook the Tigray regional capital and reopened the city’s air link.

Ethiopian Airlines had suspended services to Mekelle, Axum, and Hire after fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front seized Mekelle and its airport on 23 September. Federal forces have since reasserted control, allowing the national carrier to resume operations.

For civilians in Tigray, the return of commercial flights eases movement for families, patients, business travelers, and aid workers who would otherwise rely on longer and less predictable road journeys.

Restoring flights also signals that Addis Ababa believes security conditions in Mekelle are stable enough to protect passengers, crews, and infrastructure at the airport.

Control of Mekelle’s airport has operational significance because it serves as a hub for both civilian and potential military logistics. Whoever holds it can move personnel and supplies more quickly.

The rapid change in control since late September underlines how contested the political and security environment around Tigray remains, even as federal authorities move to show normal activity.

In the coming weeks, important signs will include whether Ethiopian Airlines maintains a regular schedule to Mekelle and whether there are further reports of clashes or disruptions in and around the city.