The General Authority of Civil Aviation in the UAE announced today, Friday, the crash of a helicopter belonging to "Aerogulf" in the sea, with an Egyptian pilot and another from South Africa on board, noting that the search for the helicopter crew is ongoing.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Sector of the General Authority of Civil Aviation in the UAE stated that it received a notification around 8:30 PM last Thursday, September 7, 2023, about the crash of a Bell 212 helicopter, belonging to Aerogulf, registered under the mark A6-ALD, in the sea, according to a statement published by the UAE's official news agency.

The statement mentioned that the pilots are of Egyptian and South African nationalities, and they were on a night training flight that took off from Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai.

The sector added that search and rescue teams have retrieved the wreckage, and the search for the aircraft crew is still ongoing. The aircraft accident investigation team has moved to the site, performing routine training maneuvers between Al Maktoum International Airport and an offshore platform, as reported by the UAE news agency.

Aerogulf stated in its announcement that it is working with aviation authorities and doing everything possible to gather information as quickly as possible, adding, "At this moment, our thoughts and prayers are with our crew and their families."

The company is the main operator of commercial helicopters in the emirate and was established in 1976 to provide services to the oil and gas sector before expanding its services to include other sectors.

In another context, Air Cairo, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, announced that in reference to what has been circulated on some websites about 7 passengers on its flight from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh suffering from suffocation due to malfunctioning air conditioning systems on board the aircraft.

It confirmed that after the passengers boarded flight number SM06 heading from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh, the backup power unit responsible for cooling the aircraft cabin malfunctioned. Until the external cooling unit arrived at the aircraft, and due to the high temperature, some passengers felt dizzy. Consequently, the pilot requested medical assistance to treat the passengers inside the ambulances that remained under the aircraft.

It is worth mentioning that the cabin crew handled the situation with the necessary professionalism, providing proper care and attention as per operational guidelines. Furthermore, the ground staff at Air Cairo assisted the passengers and helped those who missed their connecting flight from Sharm El Sheikh by booking them with alternative airlines.

Air Cairo expressed its deep regret to its customers for what occurred today and the circumstances beyond its control, confirming that it adheres to the highest global safety standards through the periodic maintenance programs provided by EgyptAir for maintenance and technical services.

It is noteworthy that Air Cairo has the youngest fleet in Africa and the Middle East, with an average aircraft age of 5 years, serving seven Egyptian airports: Sohag, Assiut, Luxor, Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, Borg El Arab, and Marsa Alam, in addition to Cairo International Airport.