Airport accident at Cairo International Airport

On April 17, 2007, Cairo, the capital of Egypt, was hit by the largest sandstorm this year. Cairo International Airport was also affected and closed for more than four hours. There was a strong wind in downtown Cairo and the sky was filled with yellow sand. At 10 a.m., Cairo International Airport announced that because the visibility at the airport did not meet the minimum requirements for air traffic, and the visibility on some runways was even less than 100 meters, the airport had to cancel 15 departing flights and all incoming flights were forced to divert to Airports located in the Red Sea regions of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. Sandstorms also caused many traffic accidents in downtown Cairo, and some people were hospitalized due to respiratory discomfort. In the afternoon, the wind in downtown Cairo began to weaken and the sky gradually became clearer. Cairo International Airport also reopened after being closed for more than four hours. Egypt is located near the southern edge of the Sahara Desert in Africa, one of the four major sandstorm-prone areas in the world. Therefore, the monsoon blowing from the Sahara Desert brings sandstorms to Egypt every spring.