By Mohamed Attia
In a significant leadership transition, Minister of Civil Aviation, Dr. Sameh El Hefny, has appointed Pilot Ahmed Adel as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Managing Director of EgyptAir Holding Company. Adel succeeds Engineer Yehia Zakaria, who received the Minister’s gratitude for his dedicated service and contributions to the company during his tenure.
Pilot Ahmed Adel brings over three decades of experience in the aviation sector. He began his journey with EgyptAir in 1988 and steadily rose through the ranks. He was promoted to a medium-range aircraft captain in 1997 and later became a heavy-range aircraft captain in 1999. His expertise expanded as he took on roles as a flight instructor, examiner across various aircraft models, and an inspector for the Civil Aviation Authority.
Over the years, Adel has held numerous leadership positions within EgyptAir. His extensive career includes serving as Deputy Chief Pilot, Assistant Director of Training, Deputy Director of Air Training, and General Manager of the Air Training Department. He later advanced to Vice President of the Air Operations Sector before assuming the role of Head of Air Operations in June 2013. By October 2013, he was appointed Vice Chairman of EgyptAir Holding Company, a position he held until June 2018. Throughout his tenure, he chaired several key committees within the airline, focusing on various operational and strategic aspects.
In June 2018, Adel was appointed Chairman of EgyptAir Holding Company, a role he held until March 2020. During this period, he was elected to the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in November 2018, joining an exclusive group of 28 leaders out of 330 global members. Subsequently, he achieved another milestone by being elected to the IATA Presidential Board, comprising only seven members worldwide. Notably, he became the first Egyptian to attain this prestigious position, marking a significant accomplishment for both EgyptAir and the nation’s aviation sector.
With his return to the leadership of EgyptAir Holding Company, Ahmed Adel is poised to bring his vast experience and strategic vision to drive the airline’s continued success and global standing.
