On Wednesday, 12th January, a Badar Airlines flight to Istanbul, Turkey from Khartoum, Sudan, was diverted to Luxor, Egypt for what the captain explained was due to an aircraft malfunction. After landing in Egypt, Hossam Menoufi Salam, a passenger that has been wanted by Egyptian authorities since 2017, was arrested by officials.
Change of plan
Badr Airlines stated that the diversion to Luxor was an unplanned stop due to safety reasons related to a smoke alarm in the Boeing 787’s cargo hold. International Flight Network cites that airline as saying that the move was performed “in accordance with air safety regulations and aviation laws.“
No smoke or fire was found after landing. Nonetheless, Badr decided to deploy a replacement 737-800, which arrived seven hours later. OM-LEX, the aircraft that initially landed in Egypt, was then moved to Bratislava, Slovakia, to undergo maintenance the next day. Notably, Slovakian airline AirExplore operated both 737s on behalf of the Sudanese carrier.
Ground arrest
Even though Badr managed to handle the unexpected incident and continue its services, there was drama on the ground in Luxor. Hossam Menoufy Mahmoud Salam was escorted by security forces, which then confiscated the wanted man’s passport. International Flight Network hints that Egypt was informed about the passenger’s presence on the flight. However, Badr Airlines expresses that he wasn’t arrested until boarding the second flight out of the country.
According to The New Arab, Salam is a leading member of the Hasm Movement, which is deemed a terrorist group by the Egyptian government. He fled Egypt and has been wanted since 2017. The Hasm Movement has been in operation since the middle of the 2010s and has been designated as a terrorist group by several countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.
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Badr Airlines has been trading under its current name since 2004. Before that, the carrier went under the moniker of Sarit Airlines. Based in Khartoum, Sudan, the company flies to nearly 20 destinations with its fleet of 737 and ERJ145 aircraft.
Political troubles
The airline is not the only operator that has found itself in the middle of passenger conflicts recently. Just last month, a Wizz Air passenger tried to escape a plane after a diversion to Serbia. He was then arrested after landing in Belgrade and charged with racially-motivated hate.
Moreover, last May, Belarusian officials forced a Ryanair service bound for Lithuania from Greece to divert to Minsk. A journalist was then arrested at the airport after the flight was escorted by a warplane.
Altogether, all these cases are sensitive situations. The reports coming out of Luxor are still developing as investigations continue.
Simple Flying reached out to Badr Airlines about the diversion. We will update the article with any further announcements from the company.
What are your thoughts about this Badr Airlines flight diversion to Egypt this week? What do you make of the overall situation? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
Source: https://simpleflying.com/badr-airlines-diversion-arrest/
