By Mohamed Attia
The Ministry of Civil Aviation is seeking, during the current period, to implement the state’s strategy for the development of the civil aviation sector. The government is working round the clock to upgrade the tourist attractions nationwide, in a way that increases revenues from tourism and contributes to achieving sustainable development.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi held a recent meeting with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maeet, Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Abbas and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa, to review the recent developments in the civil aviation sector, according to a recent press release issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
During the meeting, President Sisi directed to continue work to improve tourism sector in Egypt in all aspects, to enhance integration between the tourism and aviation fields. He also issued directives to upgrade the infrastructure of airports, hotels and tourist destinations across the country.
The Egyptian airports are witnessing, during the current period, a revolution in infrastructure and development projects under the leadership of Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Abbas.
The Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation (EHCAAN), headed by Engineer Mohamed Saeed Mahrous, and the Egyptian Airports Company (EAC), under the chair of Pilot Ahmed Mansour Ali, are working to achieve a breakthrough in the services provided to passengers, in addition to increasing air and tourist traffic to Egypt to reach 30 million tourists annually.
For his part, Minister of Civil Aviation Lieutenant General Mohamed Abbas stressed the importance of continuing the development system, raising the efficiency of airports, increasing their capacity, and improving the quality of services provided to foreign visitors from across the world.
Minister Abbas pointed out that his ministry is always seeking to provide the highest quality of services in a way that suits the leading position, which Egypt enjoys in the field of air transport regionally and internationally.
The minister said that the Sphinx International Airport was put into operation after its renovation and increasing its capacity to 1.2 million passengers annually. It is one of the most important new airports, serving the residents of Greater Cairo districts of 6 October and Sheikh Zayed, as well as the governorates of Fayoum and Beni Suef.
The airport received its first domestic flight on November 1 and international flight on December 1.
Minister Abbas said that the Borg el-Arab International Airport is currently under development, through constructing the first eco-friendly building in co-operation with Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). The Borg el-Arab airport is slated to open next June.
Minister Abbas said that his ministry has worked to develop the Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport, in conjunction with the climate change summit (COP27), which was held last November in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, with an increase in its capacity to reach 10 million passengers annually.
The development plan also included various airports across the country, notably Hurghada and St. Catherine airports, the minister said.
The security systems at Egyptian airports have been modernised according to the latest international standards, air navigation systems have been developed, and the Egyptian National Centre for Airspace Management has been established to develop the airspace, provide navigational services, and enhance air safety, according to the minister of civil aviation.
The minister said that Bernice airport is ready for operation in the event that any airline company requests to operate from it. El-Alamein International Airport, which has a capacity of 300 passengers per hour, received many private planes last August, and is ready for operation, Minister Abbas said.
Meanwhile, EHCAAN chairman Eng. Mohamed Saeed Mahrous, said that his company has drawn up an overall plan to rationalise energy use by implementing a package of intensive measures in line with the state’s plan to save energy.
The Cairo International Airport is witnessing a new boom during the current period in all aspects, according to Board Chairman of the Cairo Airport Company, Magdy Ishaq.
Ishaq confirmed that the development work at the Cairo airport came in light of the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s plan to develop the services and to show the civilised and aesthetic appearance of the airport to tourists from different countries of the world.
The Cairo International Airport has witnessed the start of the trial operation of the electric treadmill last November in preparation for the official opening soon.
The electric treadmill project, which connects Terminal 2 and the multi-storey garage, contributes to facilitating the movement of passengers and parking, and avoiding any congestion inside Cairo airport.
The engineering designs of the electric treadmill project included a covered walkway with a length of 310 metres, a bridge with a length of 65 metres and a width of 7 and a half metres. It also included two collection areas, the first at the multi-storey garage, and the second at the terminal building 2, in addition to five service areas distributed along the length of the walkway.
The HUB area includes commercial and service spaces, cafeterias, and toilets, internet service and fire systems.
As for the multi-storey garage project, which is one of the development schemes at Cairo Airport, Ishaq confirmed that it has a capacity of more than 2,500 cars, with a ground area of 18,000 square metres, containing five floors, and ten elevators operating at full capacity.
The Cairo International Airport obtained the Public Health and Safety Readiness accreditation certificate presented by the Airports Council International (ACI) for three years, to become the first airport in Africa to receive this international accreditation.
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