SM501 - Incident: Cairo A320 at Cairo on Jul 27th 2025

An Air Cairo Airbus A320-200, registration SU-BTM performing flight SM-501 from Cairo (Egypt) to Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), was enroute at FL330 about 280nm east of Cairo when the crew initiated an emergency descent to FL120 due to the loss of cabin pressure. The aircraft returned to Cairo for a safe landing about 1:55 hours after departure.

According to information The Aviation Herald received the aircraft had been dispatched under minimum equipment list requirements with engine #2 (CFM56) bleed inoperative. In flight engine #1 bleed failed, too, the APU could not be used above FL200, hence cabin pressure was lost prompting the crew to don their oxygen masks and initiate an emergency descent.

The aircraft returned to service about 10 hours after landing back.