According to a statement by EgyptAir, Abul Enein praised the performance of pilot Walid Morad, the pilot of the Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner flight MS777, which was heading to Heathrow Airport, in addition to his flight crew for their highly professional handling of the situation amid unprecedented weather in the UK.
The video of the landing was widely circulated by international and local media, gaining momentum on social media platforms as many cheered the efficiency of the Egyptian Pilot.
The video showed the plane yawing prior to the successful landing amid weather conditions that forced many pilots to cancel their approaches and reroute to alternative airports.
Morad told Sky News Arabia that he was aware of the weather conditions at Heathrow Airport before taking off from Cairo, stressing that he did not think about changing his flight path, but rather prepared in advance before attempting to land.
A large number of airlines cancelled flights at the capital's airports after the UK’s national weather service issued a red alert – the highest level possible – across southwest England and south wales and called on Britons to stay home.
Abu Al-Ainin also stressed that this situation is not new to EgyptAir, as all pilots are qualified to deal with various emergency situations and conditions, including bad weather conditions during takeoff and landing, he said in the statement.
He explained that rules regulate changing flight plans and that the pilot would only have resorted to doing so in the event that he was unable to land at Heathrow Airport.
Morad is 62 years old and has nearly 40 years of experience working for EgyptAir. However, he stressed to Sky News Arabia that even his youngest colleagues in EgyptAir would have been capable of doing what he had due to their professional training.
Morad stressed his happiness with his decision, not for himself, but rather to be able to showcase EgyptAir’s professionalism and skill of its pilots worldwide.
"It makes me proud that EgyptAir is currently trending on all platforms everywhere in the world," he said.
The skill of Egyptian airline personnel, from pilots, to engineers, administrative technicians and others, is the best in the aviation industry, the statement concluded.
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