This archive report was first published on 2 July 2021.
On July 1, 2021, the US Federal Aviation Authority issued a notice to airlines directing flights over Tigray to fly above 29,000 feet.
The move comes as the Ethiopian government has issued a unilateral ceasefire, citing the cost of war and the humanitarian crisis that has seen more than 400,000 people face famine, and millions of others displaced.
However, the Tigray Defence Forces, a grouping of fighters loyal to the erstwhile ruling party Tigray People’s Liberation Front, have continued to retake towns initially controlled by the Ethiopian and Eritrean Forces.
The TDF still has the capability to bring down aircraft flying at lower altitudes, according to reports.
Earlier, TPLF Spokesman Getachew Reda claimed his group had shot down an Ethiopian military transport aircraft, a claim which Ethiopia denied, stating that the plane came down after a mechanical problem.
