Pilot Sameh El-Hefny: Egypt’s new Minister of Civil Aviation

By Mohamed Attia

Pilot Sameh El-Hefny, the newly appointed Minister of Civil Aviation, boasts an impressive and diverse professional background. El-Hefny holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Ain Shams University and a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Sciences from the National Aviation Training Institute.

He earned a PhD in Civil Aviation Crisis Management from Port Said University and a Master’s in Business Administration, specialising in Airport and Airline Management, from Toulouse University in France. Additionally, he has a Master’s in Public Administration from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport.

El-Hefny has held several significant administrative positions within the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Notably, he served as Egypt’s Permanent Representative and a Council Member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). He was appointed Head of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority twice, first from December 2009 to October 2011, and again from July 2018 to March 2020. He also served as Chairman of the Board for EgyptAir Holding Company in 2014 and as Chairman of the Egyptian Aviation Academy in 2012.

His career at EgyptAir included roles such as Deputy Head of the Civil Aviation Authority, Deputy Head of Training, General Manager of Aviation Training, and General Manager of the Technical Office of the Chairman of EgyptAir Airlines.

Internationally, El-Hefny chaired the ICAO Regional Aviation Safety Group for the Middle East (RASG-MID) and the Technical Committee of the ICAO General Assembly. He has also been a member of several executive boards and committees, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Executive Council, the Star Alliance Executive Board, the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) Executive Board, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) Executive Council, and the Arab Civil Aviation Organisation (ACAO) Executive Council. He also served on the ICAO Regional Technical Safety Team for the Middle East (TLST).

El-Hefny is an accredited pilot by the Civil Aviation Authority, qualified as a captain, trainer, and examiner on several aircraft types. Currently, he is certified on the Airbus 330/340, and previously on the Boeing 747, Boeing 737, Airbus 320, and Airbus 300-600.