On September 24, 2026, a claim surfaced on Facebook claiming that an A400M Airbus which is claimed to belong to Eritrea landed in Mekelle, Alula Aba Nega international Airport. The posts also suggested that while the purpose of the flight remains unclear, it may be connected to a potential delivery of military equipment from Eritrea.
The post was also shared here with clearly the same assertion of the arrival of the alleged plane possibly supplying weapons.
However, Hornfrequency inspected the posts and rendered them false.
Screenshot shows a digitally altered Airbus A400M Atlas claimed to arrive in Mekelle
Ethiopia is currently experiencing a dangerous escalation into renewed large-scale conflict, effectively shattering the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement. In a dramatic political realignment, former opponents including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Amhara Fano militias, and the Oromo Liberation Army have joined five other insurgent factions to form a new coalition called the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, united by the common goal of overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
This shift is further amplified by external backing from Eritrea, which previously fought against the TPLF alongside Ethiopian federal troops but has now turned against Addis Ababa due to mounting tensions over Red Sea port access and border security. With TPLF forces launching offensives into neighboring Afar and Amhara regions, federal forces conducting drone strikes, and fighting threatening to merge with the broader regional instability in Sudan, the area is teetering on the edge of a full-blown civil and regional war.
The original image was previously shared on Airforce Technology, a platform serving an international audience of decision-makers and industry leaders; the network reaches approximately 55 million professionals annually.
Screenshot shows the original image previously shared on December 4, 2021
Hornfrequency inspected the two images and found the same footage of the plane and its surroundings. Hornfrequency spotted three scissor lifts to the left of the Airbus A400M and a ground support van to the right of the plane.
Screenshot shows the geography and object match between the two different images
The image has been modified to feature the Eritrean flag on the tail of the plane, “Eritrean Air Force” written along the front, and the Eritrean Air Force logo displayed on both the front and back.
Screenshot shows the digitally altered section on the alleged Airbus A400M
The close-up view of the name on the plane reads “Luxembourg Armed Forces” which shows that the plane belongs to the government of Luxembourg.
Screenshot shows the Airbus A400M belongs to the Luxembourg government
As of 2026 the countries that purchased the A400M military aircraft are Belgium, France, Germany, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. From this Germany has (52), France (24), United Kingdom (22) and 7 others
The Airbus has a top speed of 780 km/h, range of 3,300 km, a service ceiling of 12,500 m, and a max takeoff weight 141,000 kg, with a unit price of $152M.
Despite the several claims that an alleged plane supporting TPLF has landed in Mekelle, Hornfrequency proved the online claim to be wrong.
Because of the reasons and results stated above Hornfrequency rendered the posts as false.
