Khaled Refaat, head of the Egyptian Airlines Pilots Association, and the captain of the EgyptAir flight, revealed that the Zamalek club delegation traveled to Qatar to participate in the Saudi Al Hilal match scheduled for tomorrow.
Refaat said on the Ontime Stadium program: Zamalek is a big club that plays in the name of Egypt abroad, for us, as professional Egyptian pilots, we adhere to safety standards and we did not open the plane’s window until after the plane landed. The world will change, I am a patriot, and by raising the flag of Egypt, Zamalek and any club that represents Egypt is far from affiliations.
He added, “EgyptAir is a large national company, and we are the most concerned with security and safety standards, and we have protocols with many clubs. I am among the Zamalek pilots in EgyptAir, and if I saw the Al-Ahly mission, I would do the same, I love my team and I love my country.”
He concluded: “All EgyptAir planes have the flag of Egypt, and we are proud of our country, and the flag of Zamalek was canceled because the team was on the plane, and I am proud of a team representing my country that raised the flag.”