DUBAI // The Sudanese air transport company operating the Boeing 707 cargo aircraft that crashed in Sharjah last week will not be allowed to fly in UAE airspace until the investigation into the fatal incident is finished, an aviation official said yesterday.
"We have decided to stop Azza Air from using the UAE airspace until completion of the investigations," said Saif al Suwaidi, director of the General Civil Aviation Authority.
The Boeing 707-330C crashed shortly after take-off on Wednesday afternoon, killing all six crew members. No passengers were on board.
Investigations have been launched into what may have caused the crash of the cargo aircraft, which was leased by Sudan Airways from Azza Air Transport Company.
Azza said yesterday it was not aware of any flight ban in the UAE.
"I have not heard of this," Aidoros al Tayyab, chief of flight operations with Azza, said by telephone. However, it is normal procedure to discontinue until investigations are completed."
The aviation authority has said the inquiry would focus on the cargo plane's four turbofan engines, which were at least 24 years old.
On questions about why the airline was allowed to operate in the UAE, Mr al Suwaidi said: "The public is not aware of how the aviation industry functions. We cannot blacklist any airlines without proper justification. In fact, this airline has not been blacklisted even in Europe."
"The UAE follows a different process of assessment for blacklisting operators as compared to Europe," he said. "However, even if we did follow the Europe's model, this airline would not have been blacklisted."
He said the company had only two aircraft functioning in the country, and that the UAE was bound by the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organisation in punitive matters such as blacklisting.
Flight SD2241 left Sharjah International Airport for Khartoum at 3.29pm on Wednesday but crashed within two minutes of take-off. It came down on a deserted stretch of land near the Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club, missing a number of nearby roads.
Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder, which is expected to provide clues to the crash. UAE authorities said they were confident that their investigations would be completed soon.
"We have a good number of people working on this," Mr al Suwaidi said, adding that some of the evidence would be sent abroad for analysis.
Meanwhile, a team of experts from Sudan arrived in the UAE yesterday to participate in the investigation. It is expected to visit the accident site and sift through evidence.
"We expect to join them soon in moving ahead with the investigations," Mr al Suwaidi said. "Of course, we will be responsible to ensure everything continues well."
Sudanese officials said yesterday that the team comprised aviation authorities as well as Azza officials.
"Our own team of experts have already left for the UAE and have started assisting in the investigations," Mr al Tayyab said.
Footage of the aircraft's take-off, taken from the airfield's control tower, shows a piece of metal falling just after the 707 leaves the frame. Officials later identified the piece as a panel from one of the engines.
Losing thrust in engines on one side of the plane - that model has two on each wing - would have catastrophic consequences for the aircraft during the sensitive take-off phase, experts have said.
At the end of the footage, Flight SD2241 can be seen banking hard to the right, nearly turning inverted before striking the ground about 90 degrees from level flight. Fully loaded with six hours' worth of fuel, the aircraft exploded on impact.
Some have speculated that the captain, a 20-year veteran in aviation, may have realised that his stricken aircraft was likely to crash in a populated area and steered it sharply to avoid causing more devastation on the ground.
More than 1,000 Boeing 707s have been built since production began in the early 1950s. A few dozen remain in use commercially.
pmenon@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20profile
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
Southampton 0
Manchester City 1 (Sterling 16')
Man of the match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
The%20specs
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Oppenheimer
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Company%20Profile
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Company%20Profile
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If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
The%20specs
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ferrari
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Mann%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adam%20Driver%2C%20Penelope%20Cruz%2C%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Patrick%20Dempsey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The%20Specs
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