U.S. State Department Reversed a Security Alert Hours Before Ethiopian Airlines Flight Crashed
The warning advising Americans not to fly into or out of Addis Abba Bole was lifted shortly before the tragedy.

Tiksa Negeri/REUTERS
The U.S. State Department reversed a March 8 travel alert for Americans traveling in Ethiopia just hours before the fatal crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302. The update reversed a warning to Americans from traveling into or out of Addis Abba Bole airport on Sunday, March 10. According to the original safety alert, “U.S. Government travelers have been advised not to arrive or depart Bole International Airport on Sunday, March 10, and U.S. Embassy personnel are also temporarily prohibited from traveling to Oromia.” The warning was due to protests scheduled in the Ethiopian capital. An update issued just hours before the fatal crash took off, killing eight Americans and 149 others, said it was now considered safe to travel to and from the airport. “U.S. Government travelers may arrive or depart from Bole International Airport on Sunday, March 10.”
#Ethiopia Security Alert: U.S. Government travelers may arrive or depart from Bole International Airport on Sunday, March 10. This updates the Security Alert sent on March 8. https://t.co/bunnfmWWU6 pic.twitter.com/E7mDMg5nOR
— Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 9, 2019

Kamala Harris’ Playlist: Yes, It’s Political, But It’s Smart
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.