(TIGRAY, ETHIOPIA) — Ethiopian Airlines has suspended flights to Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region amid fresh clashes, which means your trip may be cancelled outright, rerouted through Addis Ababa (ADD), or pushed back with little notice.
If you’re holding a ticket to Tigray right now, the safest play for most travelers is to take a refund or a fee-waived change, then rebuild your itinerary around Addis Ababa (ADD) until service is reliably restored.
Quick recommendation: which option should you choose?
For most people, Option B (refund or change, then rebook later) is the least risky. It limits exposure to rolling cancellations and protects your cash flow.
If you must travel, Option A (rebook and fly only when Ethiopian confirms operations) is the next-best approach. Option C (fly to a different gateway and use surface travel) is the highest-friction option, and it can become impossible quickly.
Side-by-side comparison: your practical choices right now
| Factor | Option A: Rebook on Ethiopian to Tigray (wait for resumption) | Option B: Refund or change, then rebook later | Option C: Fly to another city, then surface transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Essential travel with flexible dates | Most leisure trips, business trips that can move | Travelers with local support and high tolerance for disruption |
| Cost risk | Medium (fare changes, hotel rebooks) | Low (cash back or future credit) | High (extra flights, transport, contingency nights) |
| Disruption risk | High until operations stabilize | Low, because you step off the “rolling cancel” treadmill | Very high, because air and ground access can change fast |
| Miles/points impact | Usually preserves original ticket value and earning | Refund may forfeit earning if you cancel the flown segment | Often splits tickets, complicating earning and protections |
| Baggage + connections | One PNR helps if kept intact | Clean reset, fewer misconnect headaches | Multiple tickets raise misconnect and bag-recheck risk |
| Who you deal with | Ethiopian Airlines first | Airline + your card issuer/insurer if needed | Airline(s) + transport providers + insurers |
⚠️ Heads Up: If you booked separate tickets, the airline typically won’t protect your onward flight after a cancellation on the first ticket.
1) Flights to Tigray suspended amid clashes: what travelers need to know now
As of Thursday, January 29, 2026, Ethiopian Airlines has suspended flights to Tigray due to clashes in the region.
Reports place recent fighting in western Tigray, including areas like Tsemlet, and involve multiple armed actors.
For travelers, a suspension usually hits in four places:
- Schedule disruption: cancellations, consolidations, or last-minute time changes
- Airport access: getting to and from airports can become harder than the flight itself
- Domestic connections: Addis Ababa often becomes the choke point for rebooking
- Refunds and credits: the fastest path depends on how you paid and where you booked
Ethiopian Airlines is the state-owned carrier and, in practice, the key airline link for Tigray. When it stops flying, there isn’t a like-for-like alternative you can simply switch to.
2) Parties, locations, and how to verify whether your specific flight is affected
Clashes reportedly involve Ethiopia’s federal Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), Tigrayan forces, and Amhara militias.
Reporting has focused on western Tigray, with Tsemlet cited as one example location.
Even if your flight is not directly over the affected area, disruptions can spread because of:
- Aircraft rotations: one cancelled leg can break an entire day’s schedule
- Crew duty-time limits: delays can trigger mandatory rest and more cancellations
- Airport operating constraints: staffing, security posture, and curfews can change
How to verify your flight (and avoid surprises at the airport)
Use a simple checklist before you leave for the airport:
- Confirm your flight number, date, and route (screenshots help).
- Check Ethiopian Airlines flight status and any messages in “Manage Booking.”
- Check the departure and arrival airport pages when available.
- If connecting via Addis Ababa (ADD), confirm both segments and minimum connection time.
The live status results circulating today show disruptions on some services linked to Tigray, with knock-on effects that can ripple through domestic operations.
That’s why you should re-check status close to departure, even after a “normal” update earlier in the day.
3) Pretoria peace agreement context: why western Tigray is a flashpoint
The Pretoria peace agreement, signed in late 2022, aimed to end the 2020–2022 war in northern Ethiopia.
One reported element was a requirement tied to withdrawal of Amhara forces from disputed areas in western Tigray.
That matters for air travel because disputed territory can change access quickly. Airports can be open one day and effectively unreachable the next, even if the runway is fine.
In practical terms, “flight suspended” often reflects conditions beyond aviation itself.
4) Historical backdrop (2020–2022 conflict): what it means for today’s disruptions
The 2020–2022 conflict involved federal forces, the TPLF (now banned), Eritrean forces, and allied armed actors, including forces tied to unrest in Oromia.
African Union estimates put deaths at at least 600,000, and displacement has been severe, with reporting citing nearly 800,000 displaced in dire conditions.
For travelers, that legacy shows up in fragile basics:
- Infrastructure gaps: roads, communications, and services may not be dependable
- Capacity constraints: hotels, banks, and transport can be strained during spikes in movement
- Recovery lag: even “normal” operations may depend on a narrow set of functioning links
Aviation is often the first thing people watch, but it’s rarely the only system under pressure.
5) Refunds, rebooking, and passenger rights when flights are cancelled or suspended
If Ethiopian Airlines cancels or suspends your flight, your two main options are refund or rebooking. Which is best depends on timing, trip purpose, and how price-sensitive you are.
Refund vs. rebooking: what it means in real life
- Refund: Your ticket value returns to the original form of payment in many cases. Card refunds can take days to weeks.
- Rebooking: The airline moves you to a later flight, often without change fees during waivers. Seats may be limited.
Form of payment matters. If you paid with a credit card, you also have a paper trail that can help with disputes if processing stalls.
Jurisdiction changes your rights
Your rights can vary sharply based on where your trip begins, where it ends, and which carrier operates the flight.
- EU/UK-style regimes can include fixed cash compensation for long delays, but eligibility depends on route, carrier, and cause.
- US rules focus more on refunds for cancellations and certain fee refunds, not cash compensation for delays.
- Most other jurisdictions rely on contract of carriage terms and consumer protection frameworks that vary widely.
The compensation guidance circulating for travelers today highlights fixed compensation tiers and specific delay or notice thresholds under certain regimes.
In practice, most Ethiopia domestic itineraries won’t qualify for EU/UK cash awards unless your journey is covered by those rules.
How to escalate without burning days on hold
If your flight is cancelled and the first contact doesn’t resolve it:
- Try call + chat + airport ticket desk if you are already airside.
- Keep records: screenshots, receipts, and timestamps.
- If you’re stuck with nonresponsive processing, consider a card dispute within your issuer’s timeline.
- If you bought coverage, start a travel insurance claim early, even if you’re waiting on documents.
Pro Tip: If you’re chasing miles or status, ask to keep your itinerary on a single ticket. Splitting tickets can erase protections.
Miles and points angle: don’t accidentally forfeit earning
- If you accept a refund, you generally won’t earn miles because you didn’t fly.
- If you rebook on Ethiopian and fly later, you’ll typically earn based on the fare rules of the reissued ticket.
- If you used points, check whether your program redeposits instantly or holds fees.
If you are trying to qualify for status, a cancellation can also cost you segments. If you’re close to a threshold, consider rerouting to preserve flown activity, but only if conditions allow.
6) Broader instability around northern Ethiopia: how to plan routes and connections
Even when the disruption is centered in Tigray, nearby instability can affect routes and backup plans.
- Amhara Region instability includes the ongoing Fano insurgency and reported security disruptions.
- Oromia violence has displaced 280,000+ people in 2025, adding strain to transport corridors.
- Humanitarian stress, including aid cuts and climate shocks, can weaken local services travelers rely on.
Safer itinerary design principles (without pretending you can outguess events):
- Keep connections loose at Addis Ababa, especially on separate tickets.
- Minimize domestic legs if your main purpose can be met in Addis.
- Choose refundable fares when the price jump is reasonable.
- Avoid “last flight of the day” traps where a cancellation becomes an overnight.
If you’re routing through the UAE (Dubai or Abu Dhabi) on the way to Addis, also check UAE transit and entry requirements for your passport and itinerary.
Many travelers are fine airside, but some routings require clearing immigration. That can change your risk picture during irregular operations.
7) Official responses: what to watch from the airline and authorities
As of January 29, 2026, reporting indicates the federal army has not publicly commented on the clashes. Ethiopian Airlines has cancelled services amid tensions, and public detail has been limited.
For travelers, the updates that matter are operational bulletins:
- Resumption notices for Tigray service
- Waiver policies (change fees, fare differences, rebooking windows)
- Airport operating hours and any access restrictions
- Security advisories that affect ground movement to and from airports
If you booked through an online travel agency, watch for an extra layer of delay. Airline waivers don’t always flow cleanly through third-party systems.
8) Implications for travelers and communities: disruption, escalation risk, and humanitarian impact
A flight suspension is one of the clearest signals that operational and security risk has risen. For travelers, it means reliability drops, costs rise, and “Plan B” can disappear fast.
It also lands on local communities already under pressure. Reports of cash withdrawals from banks, continued large-scale displacement, and thin services matter to travelers because they shape whether you can pay for basics, move around, and communicate.
So, which option wins?
Choose Option B (refund or change, then rebook later) if your trip is discretionary, or if you need cost control and predictability.
Choose Option A (rebook on Ethiopian when operations resume) if you must travel and can move your dates without penalty.
Choose Option C (alternate gateway + surface transfer) only if you have strong local support and confirmed onward arrangements.
If you have travel to Tigray booked in the next 72 hours, start by securing a refund or waiver today, then rebuild around Addis Ababa only after your flight number shows stable operations for multiple days.
Ethiopian Airlines Suspends Flights to Tigray as Pretoria Peace Agreement Threatened
Ethiopian Airlines has halted flights to northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region due to renewed fighting involving federal forces and local militias. Travelers face significant risks including cancellations and infrastructure gaps. Experts recommend opting for refunds or delaying trips rather than attempting risky surface transfers. As domestic connections through Addis Ababa face strain, passengers are urged to monitor airline bulletins and verify their rights under international passenger protection regimes.
