By Mohamed Attia
The civil aviation sector achieved major gains during El Alamein International Airshow (EIAS 2026), securing various agreements, partnerships, and contracts.
These achievements were accompanied by several meetings to build stronger international co-operation in civil aviation.
Following directives from the political leadership to strengthen ties with African countries and expand joint work, Minister of Civil Aviation Sameh el-Hefny met with Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria Festus Keyamo on the sidelines of the event.
The meeting was attended by key Egyptian officials, including Permanent Undersecretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation Amr Nagati, Chairman of EgyptAir Holding Company Ahmed Adel, and Chairman of EgyptAir Airlines Captain Mohamed Elian.
Also present were Egypt’s Alternate Representative to the ICAO Council Reem Orabi, Vice-President of the Civil Aviation Authority for Air Safety Captain Mohamed Salah, Head of the Central Administration for Air Transport Salma El-Tahhan, and Advisor to the Authority Chairman and General Manager of International Agreements Captain Karim Gamil.
Both sides discussed ways to increase Egypt’s presence in African air transport markets using national carriers.
This effort aims to improve air connectivity across Africa, make the movement of passengers and cargo easier, and boost tourism, trade, and investment.
El-Hefny highlighted that Egypt places great importance on co-operation with African nations, recognising that air transport plays a vital role in connecting the continent and driving economic growth.
El-Hefny also held a meeting with President of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) Florent Serge Dzota.
Their talks covered several topics related to developing the African civil aviation system.
Main discussion points included ways to improve co-operation, raise international air transport standards across Africa, and support growth across the sector.
Both sides talked about preparations for the Extraordinary Session of the ICAO Assembly and the Seventh Air Transport Conference, scheduled for next November.
They reviewed future ministerial goals to be announced after the conference, which aim to build a sustainable air transport industry aligned with ICAO strategies to handle fast-changing challenges.
The meeting also addressed other matters of common interest, stressing the importance of sharing expertise and aligning visions for the future of civil aviation in Africa.
In addition, El-Hefny met with CEO of Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) Tiago Pereira.
They discussed mutual interest in civil aviation and explored ways to share specialised expertise, helping to strengthen Egyptian-Brazilian relations and open new opportunities for joint work.
Both sides reviewed topics on the upcoming International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) agenda, preparations for the extraordinary assembly, and regional air transport obligations.
El-Hefny also visited and inspected the branch of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in New Alamein City.
Finally, the minister took part in the “Future of Space and Aviation Technology” forum at Heritage City in New Alamein.
The forum brought together leaders, experts, and major specialised companies to share knowledge, explore future partnerships, and discuss key technologies shaping aviation, space, and defense.
These topics included artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and human-machine integration, as well as the evolution of air capabilities and multi-domain operations.
The event featured keynote speeches and panel sessions covering air capabilities, the role of artificial intelligence in supporting decisions, the training of next-generation pilots and specialists, autonomous operations, and the use of data to improve daily operational choices.
