DUBAI - The UAE has banned Sudan’s Azza Air Transport from operating in the Gulf state after a cargo aircraft belonging to the company crashed last week killing all six crew on board, local daily the National reported on Sunday.
The Boeing 707, owned by the company and leased to Sudan Airways, crashed shortly after taking off from Sharjah International Airport on Wednesday.
The plane was seen veering sideways before crashing into the ground and exploding into flames. A piece of the plane was also seen falling to the ground moments before the crash, according to reports.
“We have decided to stop Azza Air from using the UAE airspace until completion of the investigations,” Saif al-Suwaidi, director-general of the federal air transport regulator the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), was quoted as saying.
Engine problems are thought to have caused the crash and investigations are focusing on the aircraft’s four turbofan engines, Suwaidi was quoted as saying by the National on Saturday.
He said the investigation could take months to complete because evidence has to be sent oversees for analysis, the paper reported.