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Ethiopian Airlines has officially restarted its flights to the northern Tigray region, ending a brief suspension that had left many travelers and residents on edge. The airline made the decision to get planes back in the air on Tuesday, only a few days after pausing operations due to a sudden flare-up of violence. The suspension was a cautious reaction to new clashes between regional fighters and national government forces, which sparked immediate concerns that the area might be sliding back into a larger conflict.
This part of Ethiopia is still trying to recover from a devastating two-year war that lasted until late 2022. That conflict had a heartbreaking impact, with hundreds of thousands of lives lost not only to direct fighting but also to the resulting famine and the total breakdown of the local healthcare system. While a peace agreement reached in November 2022 brought a much-needed end to the heavy combat, the underlying tensions never fully disappeared.
The latest trouble began last week in disputed areas of western Tigray. Reports from diplomatic sources and people on the ground confirmed that fighting had broken out once again. Adding to the tension, a drone strike over the weekend reportedly killed one person and left another injured. These incidents were enough to prompt the national airline to halt its services temporarily as a safety measure.
Even though the planes are flying again, the situation remains delicate. The 2022 peace deal was a massive step forward, but several big issues are still causing friction. Both sides continue to disagree over who should control specific territories in the west, and there have been significant delays in the process of disarming regional forces. This combination of old grievances and new skirmishes has made the path to a lasting peace feel quite bumpy.
For the people living in Tigray, the resumption of flights is a vital lifeline. When the planes stop, it doesn’t just affect travel; it often signals a tightening of resources and a return to the isolation they experienced during the height of the war. While the airline’s return to the skies is a positive sign that things have calmed down for the moment, many are watching closely to see if the regional and national leaders can resolve their differences through words rather than weapons.