Africa’s biggest airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, has refuted media reports making the rounds that its aircraft, flight ET608 which departed its hub it Addis Ababa enroute Bangkok, Hong Kong landed at the airport in the amidst of the typhoon currently being experienced in the country.
According to a press statement by the carrier, the Ethiopian Flight Dispatch team was aware of the Typhoon earlier and was following up the flight from planning up to all phases of the flight between Addis Ababa and Hong Kong, giving regular updates to the crew.
It said: “Ethiopian flight ET608 from Addis Ababa to Hong Kong via Bangkok landed at Hong Kong airport on September 1st at its scheduled arrival time. The flight departed from Bangkok after getting weather forecast information that the weather at Hong Kong would be safe for landing at the time of arrival.
“Accordingly, the flight proceeded and landed at Hong Kong since the weather conditions were within the normal range and after securing clearance from the Hong Kong airport ATC.
“The Ethiopian Flight Dispatch team was aware of the Typhoon earlier and was following up the flight from planning up to all phases of the flight between Addis Ababa and Hong Kong, giving regular updates to the crew. The flight was operated in consideration of the weather forecast that indicated the Typhoon was far away from Hong Kong airport at the time of arrival of Ethiopian flight.
“Hence, the report from some media which stated the flight landed at Hong Kong airport in the middle of the super Typhoon is absolutely incorrect. We would like to inform all that the flight landed at Hong Kong smoothly while the actual weather condition was within the acceptable limits. Later, the weather at Hong Kong deteriorated and the airport was closed for operation. As a result, the return flight ET609 was postponed by 24 hours”.
