By Mohamed Attia
Egypt’s civil aviation sector is currently experiencing significant governmental attention, highlighted by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli’s recent inspection tour of Borg El Arab Airport. Accompanied by Civil Aviation Minister, Samir Hany, Deputy Minister Montaser Manaa, and Mohamed Said Mahrous, Chairman of the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation, the tour underscored the state’s commitment to modernising the country’s airports.
During the tour, Prime Minister Madbouli emphasised that the operation of the new passenger terminal at Borg El Arab International Airport represents a significant enhancement to Egypt’s airport infrastructure, aligning with political directives to develop airports nationwide using the latest systems. This initiative supports Egypt’s sustainable development goals and aims to attract 30 million tourists by 2030, with the promising North Coast expected to significantly contribute to this target.
Madbouli inspected the old terminal (Terminal 1) at Borg El Arab International Airport, including the international departure lounge, transit corridor, and arrival hall, as well as the temporary areas for passenger drop-off and pick-up. He stressed the importance of streamlining procedures for passengers to ensure smooth operations, especially as passenger traffic to the North Coast’s tourist destinations increases.
The Prime Minister also visited the new terminal (Terminal 2), reviewing its facilities such as the departure lounge, reception area, immigration zone, and international arrival hall. Minister Hany outlined the terminal’s capabilities and projected operational capacity, stating it will handle 4.8 million passengers annually, raising the airport’s total capacity to 6 million passengers per year.
Minister Hany detailed that the new terminal spans 40,000 square metres, with parking facilities for 1,000 cars, 15 buses, and 51 microbuses and taxis. The terminal incorporates modern environmental features, relying on natural and LED lighting to reduce energy consumption and pollution. It also boasts a comprehensive service area equipped with advanced airport construction technologies.
The development works include the construction of a new aircraft apron and connecting roads, expanding the total aircraft parking stands to 40. The airport is equipped with state-of-the-art fire alarm and extinguishing systems and enhanced security measures.
Mohamed Said Mahrous presented an overview of Borg El Arab International Airport’s components and ongoing development works, noting that Terminal 1, opened in 2010, covers 24,000 square metres with a capacity of 1.2 million passengers annually. The terminal includes parking for 348 cars, 32 buses, and 50 microbuses. Mahrous also discussed passenger statistics and airline operations at the airport from 2021 to 2024.
Brigadier Ahmed Sror, Assistant Director of Engineering Projects for the Air Force, detailed the Egyptian Armed Forces Engineering Authority’s contributions to the airport’s development, including upgrading the main runway, creating a new parallel taxiway, and enhancing passenger facilities.
At the conclusion of his visit, Prime Minister Madbouli urged the swift completion of ongoing projects at Borg El Arab Airport, particularly Terminal 2, to accommodate increasing passenger numbers, especially tourists visiting New Alamein City. He also called for the expansion and enhancement of El Alamein Airport to support the region’s tourism growth.
In a related meeting, Prime Minister Madbouli and Minister Hany discussed the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s strategic plans, aiming to increase the capacity of Egyptian airports to 72.2 million passengers annually by 2025, up from 66.27 million in December 2023, with a strategic target of 109.2 million passengers by 2030. Minister Hany emphasised the ministry’s focus on adopting best practices in civil aviation, exploring foreign partnerships for airport management, and attracting direct foreign investments through creating investment zones around Egyptian airports. The ministry is committed to environmental standards as part of Egypt’s green economy transition and sustainable aviation initiatives.
Additionally, Minister Hany mentioned ongoing improvements at New Alamein City’s airport to boost air traffic, including plans for an aviation exhibition. The ministry actively monitors and addresses service quality complaints to enhance passenger experiences across Egypt’s airports.
