Burning Smell Prompts EgyptAir Evacuation

A suspected fire on an

jet aircraft waiting to take off at King Abdulaziz Airport (KAIA) caused passengers to be evacuated on Wednesday evening. A burning smell was noticed from the back of the Boeing 777 aircraft, flight 607, which was scheduled to depart for Cairo with 320 passengers on board.

Director General of KAIA, Mazin Khashoggi, said “On sensing the smell of something burning in the rear of the craft all passengers were taken off and an investigation team was dispatched.” Firefighters were kept ready. Khashoggi said the smell was strongest in the back of the plane, and it initially smelled like electrical wires were burning, although the cause has not yet been confirmed. A source at EgyptAir's KAIA office said a team of their expert engineers is examining the aircraft to determine the cause. All passengers are in good condition and did not experience any difficulty.