Heavy weather diverts 12 Addis-bound Ethiopian flights to Khartoum

Adverse weather conditions caused 12 Ethiopian Airlines flights bound for Addis Ababa to be diverted to Khartoum International Airport in Sudan on Sunday evening and Monday morning. All flights were able to depart later after weather conditions above the Ethiopian capital improved.

In a statement via its website, Ethiopian Airlines announced: “Out of an abundance of caution, flights heading to Addis Ababa are diverting to nearby airports due to bad weather at and around Bole International Airport.” The airline said that flights would revert to their original destination once weather improves.

In an update at 09:30 yesterday, the airline said that weather conditions had shown some improvement so that flights could begin reverting to Addis, where arrangements were being made to accommodate transit passengers who need to be re-booked in hotels.

It cautioned that “conditions are still unreliable which can change at any time”.

Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority Chief, Ibrahim Adlan, confirmed to the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) that the unscheduled landings were necessary due to bad weather at Addis Ababa Airport. He says that they were all commercial flights of Ethiopian Airlines from a number of European and Asian airports.

He said that the Khartoum airport authorities acted in a highly professional way, and with full coordination with parties concerned. “The aircraft were received and provided with all technical and logistical services until they departed safely after the improvement of weather at Addis Ababa Airport,” Adlan said.