PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Ethiopian Airlines resumes partial flight to destinations affected by volcano
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - Ethiopian Airlines announced Wednesday that it had resumed flights to some of the destinations affected by volcanic ash from a volcanic eruption in Eritrea Monday morning.
“The volcanic ash cloud in the Northern part of Ethiopia is clearing. Therefore, Ethiopian flights to Djibouti will resume 15 June," the Airlines said in a press statement Wednesday afternoon.
However, “Flights to Khartoum and some destinations in the Northern part of Ethiopia are still suspended.”
The eruption of a long-dormant volcano in northeastern Africa disrupted air traffic since Monday night, when it forced US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, to cut short a three-nation African tour by 24 hours.
The Dubbi volcano erupted on Sunday night following a series of minor earthquakes, spewing ash up to eight miles into the air.
The eruption was its first in 150 years.
Dubbi is located 219 miles south of the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and 146 miles east of the Ethiopian city of Mekelle.
US officials were quoted as saying that Ethiopia was considering shutting down Addis Ababa's main international airport as the ash cloud headed toward the capital, though this was not confirmed by Ethiopia's Civil Aviation Authority.
Nevertheless, a press statement by Ethiopian Airlines on 14 June, stated that northern Ethiopia, neighboring Djibouti and the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, had been affected.
Germany's Lufthansa had said that it had canceled a flight out of Asmara on Monday and another flight into Addis Ababa.
According to Israel's weather service, the cloud was moving in the direction of Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Meanwhile, an independent earthquake monitoring website — earthquake-report.com — said it might in fact be a nearby volcano, called Nabro, erupting.
-0- PANA OR/VAO 15June2011
“The volcanic ash cloud in the Northern part of Ethiopia is clearing. Therefore, Ethiopian flights to Djibouti will resume 15 June," the Airlines said in a press statement Wednesday afternoon.
However, “Flights to Khartoum and some destinations in the Northern part of Ethiopia are still suspended.”
The eruption of a long-dormant volcano in northeastern Africa disrupted air traffic since Monday night, when it forced US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, to cut short a three-nation African tour by 24 hours.
The Dubbi volcano erupted on Sunday night following a series of minor earthquakes, spewing ash up to eight miles into the air.
The eruption was its first in 150 years.
Dubbi is located 219 miles south of the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and 146 miles east of the Ethiopian city of Mekelle.
US officials were quoted as saying that Ethiopia was considering shutting down Addis Ababa's main international airport as the ash cloud headed toward the capital, though this was not confirmed by Ethiopia's Civil Aviation Authority.
Nevertheless, a press statement by Ethiopian Airlines on 14 June, stated that northern Ethiopia, neighboring Djibouti and the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, had been affected.
Germany's Lufthansa had said that it had canceled a flight out of Asmara on Monday and another flight into Addis Ababa.
According to Israel's weather service, the cloud was moving in the direction of Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Meanwhile, an independent earthquake monitoring website — earthquake-report.com — said it might in fact be a nearby volcano, called Nabro, erupting.
-0- PANA OR/VAO 15June2011
