Breaking · Safety & Advisories

Ethiopia Just Lost Three Airports to Fighters, Here's What US and UK Governments Are Actually Telling Travelers

Tigray forces seized three Ethiopian airports on 23 September 2026 — Addis Ababa's hub is unaffected, but four Ethiopian regions remain Do Not Travel.

By Laxman Rawal · Sep 23, 2026

Key facts Tigray Defense Forces took control of the airports at Mekelle, Axum and Shire on 23 September 2026 Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to all three, with no resumption date given Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport , the airline's main hub…

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What happened at three Ethiopian airports on 23 September 2026?

Fighters from the Tigray People's Liberation Front occupied the airport at Mekelle, Tigray's regional capital, along with the airports at Axum and Shire, on the morning of 23 September. A taxi driver told the Associated Press the fighters carried light arms…

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Is the Addis Ababa airport affected?

No. Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines' hub and the gateway almost every foreign visitor actually uses, is not among the airports that changed hands and continues normal operations. The US Embassy in Addis Ababa said in its 23…

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Which parts of Ethiopia do the US and UK actually say to avoid?

Four regions: Tigray, Afar, Amhara and Gambela sit at the highest "Do Not Travel" tier from the US State Department, and as of the 23 September alert, US government personnel are barred from Tigray and Afar entirely. The UK Foreign Office separately advises…

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What this means if you have a flight booked to Ethiopia, or a connection through it

Check which airport you are actually landing at before you cancel anything. A flight into or connecting through Addis Ababa's Bole International is unaffected by this week's airport seizures and sits outside every current Do Not Travel zone. A trip built…

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