By Mohamed Attia
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has witnessed during the last eight years, specifically since June 2014, and specifically since President Abdel Fattah El Sisi took office until June 2022, many achievements at the local and global levels for EgyptAir and its affiliates, as well as in the infrastructure at the scale of Egyptian airports and the Meteorological Authority. What has been achieved in this vital sector?
In the development and modernisation projects at Egyptian airports, the Ministry of Civil Aviation implemented infrastructure development and modernisation projects in a way that contributes to stimulating the air traffic and incoming tourism to Egypt.
At Sphinx International Airport, the passenger building was expanded and the total area of the building increased to 24,000 flat meters instead of 3600 metres, increasing the airport’s capacity to 900 passengers per hour instead of 300 passengers per hour, bringing the total capacity to about 1.2 one million passengers annually.
Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport also witnessed an increase in its capacity from 7.5 million passengers to 9.5 million annually to keep pace with the increasing air and tourist traffic to Sharm El-Sheikh.
Saint Catherine International Airport is also witnessing an increase in the area of the passenger building, raising its efficiency and increasing its capacity through the design of a new building to accommodate 600 passengers per hour, which can be increased to 1200 passengers per hour with a total surface of 8,000 square metres.
The efficiency of Borg El-Arab International Airport has also been raised, as the first new “environmentally-friendly” building is being constructed in cooperation with the Japanese International Development Agency (JICA) in line with the Egyptian state’s strategy to confront climate change and turn green.
The new building accommodates 4 million passengers annually, which is the same case for Hurghada International Airport, which witnessed the construction of a new passenger building with a capacity of 7.5 million passengers annually to increase the airport’s capacity to receive the expected increase in traffic. The efficiency of the auxiliary corridor at Aswan Airport was also raised.
The Capital International Airport is also witnessing development work, as it has been equipped with the latest surveillance cameras, X-Ray detection, and the installation of an automatic fire alarm system, access control system and camera surveillance systems.
The ministry has raised the efficiency of the air field at Luxor and Assiut airports and maintained the main corridor and auxiliary corridor at Kharga International Airport.
Also, the security and development of navigation systems at Berenice Airport were increased and the efficiency of the control tower at Marsa Matrouh Airport increased.
Among the most important achievements recently achieved are 11 Egyptian airports obtaining the Health Accreditation for Safe Travel (AHA) certificate from the Airports International Council (ACI), namely Cairo, Taba, Marsa Matrouh, Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada, Luxor, Aswan, Borg Al-Arab, Sohag, Assiut and Marsa Alam airports
Egypt also became the first Arab and African country to be vice-chairman of the ICAO Environmental Protection Committee.
A project to develop air navigation systems is also being implemented, and the project aims to develop a method for operating and securing the Egyptian airspace and using the principle of flexible airspace.
In continuation of the efforts and effective coordination between the two ministries, the Ministers of Civil Aviation, Tourism and Antiquities inaugurated the two Egyptian Antiquities Museums at Cairo International Airport in Terminals No. 2 and 3.
The EgyptAir Tourism Services Centre, affiliated to the Karnak Tourism Sector of EgyptAir Airlines, was opened to provide integrated services, and the centre’s vision is to attract new segments and contracts in the Egyptian and international market.
Chairman of EgyptAir Omar Aboul-Enein also inaugurated the new EgyptAir office in Doha, to serve the company’s customers, in addition to the offices of the Marketing and Sales Department. It also includes a telephone service centre equipped with the latest technologies that will provide all travel and reservation services.
With regard to initiatives to revitalize air and tourism movement, the Ministry of Civil Aviation presented a package of initiatives and procedures to activate air and tourism traffic to Egyptian airports, which included reductions in landing and accommodation fees at tourist airports, as well as reducing the price of aircraft fuel by 15 cents per gallon.
Fleet update
Perhaps the biggest achievement achieved by EgyptAir during the past years is the deal of leasing and purchasing 45 aircraft of the latest models, at a rate of 24 of the CS300s, of the Canadian Bombardier companies, which were subsequently acquired by Airbus International, so that these aircraft became Airbus A220-300s.
EgyptAir has 12 aircraft, as well as contracting 6 Boeing B787-9 Dreamliners, in addition to 8 Airbus A320Neo aircraft. The receipt of these aircraft has already started from 2019 to July 2020, in addition to contracting 7 Airbus A321Neo aircraft and two Boeing B787-9 Dreamliners.
Coronavirus
With the outbreak of the coronavirus, EgyptAir was keen to abide by the implementation of all precautionary measures in all stages of travel and on board aircraft to provide safe flights for its customers.
The company, despite the deteriorating financial situation, did not stop implementing a plan to replace and renew its air fleet and complete acquisition deals.
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