ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Airlines, the national flag carrier of Ethiopia, announced Tuesday that it has canceled flights to Bahir Dar city, the capital of Ethiopia's northern Amhara region.
The airlines said in a press statement that flights planned for Wednesday to Friday in Dessie, Gonder, Lalibela and Bahir Dar cities have been canceled.
On Friday, the airlines announced it has indefinitely suspended flights to Dessie, Gonder and Lalibela cities, leaving Bahir Dar as the only remaining city with an air link in the Amhara region.
The statement expressed apologies for the flight cancellations to the four northern Ethiopia cities and stated that those who had booked flights to those cities can ask for refunds at nearby airline ticket offices or travel agencies where they bought air tickets.
On Friday, the Ethiopian federal declared a state of emergency in the Amhara region following several days of fighting in towns across the Amhara region between federal forces and local militiamen known as Fano.
On Sunday, the Ethiopian government admitted local militias have seized several cities in the Amhara region from government forces and it has promised to reverse ongoing security problems in the Amhara region in a short period of time. ■
