Airport official says a plane has crashed on a highway outside Dubai; no word on casualties

Airport official: plane crashes outside Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An aircraft believed to be a cargo plane crashed Friday outside Dubai, an airport official said. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Some unconfirmed reports said the plane went down on a stretch of highway, but the state news agency WAM reported the crash was in an unpopulated desert area.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity under standing rules for releasing information to reporters, said he could not provide more details.

In October 2009, a Sudanese Boeing 707 cargo plane crashed in the desert outside Dubai, killing six crew members.

Emirati regulators have banned the plane’s Sudanese owner, Azza Transport, from operating in the country.