Local news outlets have reported that several passengers who boarded the Air Cairo flight SM06 on their way to the popular Red Sea resort disembarked after they complained of difficulty breathing as the Air Conditioning system failed to come on.

In a statement on Thursday evening, Air Cairo, a subsidiary of the country's flagship carrier EgyptAir, expressed “its deep sorrow for its customers for what happened today.”

“The backup cooling unit which was meant to work in the main cabin broke down shortly after passengers boarded the flight,” said the carrier.

The captain ordered a spare cooling unit but some passengers suffered from dizziness due to high temperatures in the interim, it added.

"The captain promptly requested ground authorities dispatch ambulances to treat passengers who fell ill," added the statement.

Air Cairo stressed that the cabin crew provided all necessary urgent care to passengers in accordance with international standards.

In the statement, Air Cairo assured that the company “implements the highest international safety and security standards and applies periodic maintenance programs EgyptAir provides for maintenance and technical works.”

The average age of aircraft used by the company, which operates the youngest fleet in Africa and the Middle East, is five years old.

Air Cairo flies in and out of eight Egyptian airports: Sohag, Assiut, Luxor, Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada, Borg Al-Arab, Marsa Alam, and Cairo International Airport.