A small plane crashed Thursday near the busy Dubai International Airport, killing at least two people, Dubai authorities said.
The government’s Dubai Media Office tweeted that the plane had at least four people on board.
Government of Dubai Media Office: An accident involving a small plane with 4 passengers occurred resulting in the death of the pilot and his assistant. The relevant teams are on the scene. pic.twitter.com/HVX9tJrKYp
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) May 16, 2019
Dubai International Airport, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates, is the world’s busiest airport for international travel.
The airport said that it halted flights from 7:36pm until 8:22pm local time over the crash.
Dubai is a major city in the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula.
The crash caused delays at Dubai airport, the emirate’s government media office said.
Authorities gave no explanation for what caused the crash of the aircraft, a Diamond DA62 with a tail number belonging to Flight Calibrations Service Ltd. of Shoreham, England.
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority said all four people on board, three British and one South African, were killed in the crash.
It said the crash happened 5 kilometres south of the airport, without elaborating.
“All operations at the Dubai airport are running smoothly after a slight delay and diversion of some flights as a precautionary measure to ensure security,” it added.
Dubai’s international airport is one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs.
