Discussion
BBC: Nigeria cautions against travel via Ethiopia's main airport due to altitude
"...The foreign ministry in Abuja said 16 Nigerians with underlying health problems had died this year while transiting through Addis Ababa.
The city sits at an altitude of 2,334m (7,657ft) above sea level, making it one of the highest capitals in the world. Bole International Airport is a major hub for travel between Africa, the Middle East and Asia, serving millions of passengers a year...."
@ai6yr Um, you'd think the plane would kill them because of altitude first?
@PatrickoftheG Looks like a 767 is typically set to 7,000 ft, A380 is around 6,128ft, 747-400 at 5,156ft. Don't know what a 737 is usually set to.
@ai6yr @PatrickoftheG
A lot of people (with underlying conditions) do get sick on airplanes with related symptoms. Landing at high altitude and having no respite could be the nail in that coffin.
***I had no idea Addis Ababa was that high, myself! I have had altitude sickness at lower than that altitude before (although, after starting bicycling a lot more, did not have that issue last time).
lol, i have been to that airport and i did not know it was that high. i also don't generally feel the altitude in my body unless i'm above about 15,000 feet.
that said, flying into the airport, there was a lot of hilly, mountainous terrain visible below. it was quite green, none of which i was expecting.
@ai6yr when I was a child my Dad was stationed in the Philippines. We lived there for 3 years. When we came back to the US my Dad drove from California to Virginia. On the way, We stopped in Tucson to rest and unfortunately we all got altitude sickness and we had to leave. I'm not I'd survive altitudes that high either
@ai6yr Cabin pressure altitude in most jets is higher than that. The newest jets hold about 6000 feet, but most of the fleet runs at or near the 8000 foot cabin pressure altitude limit.
So Addis Ababa being at about the same pressure altitude as inside most jets in flight doesn't compute for being the cause of death here. Something is missing here. I wonder what?