Jan 4th 2026 : An Emirates Boeing 777 operating flight EK929 from Dubai to Cairo was forced to return to its departure airport on January 4, 2026, following a loss of cabin pressure while en route.
The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200 registered A6-EWB, had departed Dubai International Airport bound for Cairo, Egypt. While cruising at flight level 360 over Saudi Arabia, the flight crew initiated an emergency descent after experiencing a cabin pressurization issue. During the descent, passenger oxygen masks deployed automatically as a safety precaution.
After descending to 9,000 feet, the aircraft entered a holding pattern to assess the situation. The crew subsequently decided to return to Dubai, maintaining an altitude of 9,000 feet. The aircraft landed safely on runway 30L approximately two hours after leaving cruising altitude.
Emirates later confirmed that a component failure in the aircraft’s air conditioning system led to the pressurization problem, which in turn caused the oxygen masks to deploy. The airline stated that there were no injuries to passengers or crew during the incident.
To minimize disruption, Emirates arranged a replacement aircraft, a Boeing 777-300 registered A6-ECE, which operated the onward flight to Cairo. The substitute flight arrived with a delay of approximately eight hours.
The affected aircraft, A6-EWB, remains on the ground in Dubai around 57 hours after its return, as maintenance teams continue inspections and repairs.
Emirates emphasized that the flight crew followed established procedures and that passenger safety was not compromised.
