By Mohamed Attia
A new edifice joins the civil aviation sector under the leadership of Minister of Civil Aviation Lieutenant General Pilot Mohamed Abbas.
The Sphinx International Airport is one of the civil aviation development projects that contributes to attracting more incoming air and tourist traffic due to its proximity to the Great Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). The Sphinx airport is decorated to welcome the honorable guests of Egypt at the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum during the coming period.
On the first of last November, the Sphinx International Airport witnessed the operation of domestic flights, and the international flights began on the first of last December.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has organised an inspection tour of the Sphinx airport for aviation reporters in order to review the latest development projects implemented in the airport. Major General Ahmed Mansour, Board Chairman of the Egyptian Airports Company, and Mohamed Siam, Director of Sphinx International Airport, received the press delegation.
At the beginning of the tour, Mansour welcomed aviation journalists and reporters and briefed them on a detailed review of development projects executed in the Sphinx airport during the last period.
The reporters were posted on the capabilities of the airport before and after its development in light of the noticeable increase in the number of inbound tourists and visitors, especially with the imminent opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Mansour said that the minister of civil aviation had instructed the authorities concerned to improve the quality of services provided to travelers, in addition to offering all amenities for passengers to overcome any difficulties they may face during their journey.
He said that the ministry is seeking to achieve a safe and more luxurious travel experience in a way that promotes the Egyptian destination before the nations of the world.
The board chairman of the Egyptian Airports Company confirmed that Sphinx International Airport, west of Cairo, has become a global airport equipped with all facilities as per the latest international standards, thanks to increasing its capacity to one million passengers annually.
This came in line with the strategic goals of Egypt’s Vision 2030, and stimulating the incoming tourist movement to Egyptian marvelous destinations.
Development projects
Mansour said that the development plan for Sphinx airport included the arrival and departure halls, travel counters, passports, customs, duty-free shops, the baggage carousel, the security and service system, the airstrip, and the control and monitoring room.
The airport will witness a significant increase in the number of tourists coming to Egypt during the next period, especially after the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, in addition to the development of the pyramids area. This is meant to relieve pressure on Cairo airport, and to encourage one-day tourism.
Mansour said that all development works carried out in the airport are in conformity with the latest technological and security specifications.
He added that the coming period will witness the opening of many airports across the country to serve travelers and tourists, under the directives of Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Abbas.
Mansour said that the Sphinx airport would serve citizens of the governorates of Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya and Menoufia.
The development of Sphinx International Airport has been implemented according to the latest global technological standards, in addition to the development and construction works, which reached their final stages.
These included the expansion of the passenger building to reach 24,000 square metres instead of 3,600 metres, and the airport’s capacity to increase to 900 passengers/ hour instead of 300 passengers/ hour, to reach a capacity of 1.2 million passengers annually.
The development process included the construction and upgrade of 10 arrival counters, 10 travel counters, 3 luggage carousels, a travel and arrival hall for VIP visitors, 6 airline counters, an information counter, and a new cooling station of 1,640 refrigeration tons, a new power station of 7.5 megabytes, 16 elevators, 8 escalators, and four passenger boarding bridges serving four aircraft.
It also included a parking lot that accommodates 400 cars and 20 buses, offices of tourism companies, a banking area, quarantine offices, commercial shops, an EgyptAir outlet for duty-free shops, cafeterias, and a mosque that can accommodate 550 worshipers.
Robust security system
During his review, Mansour said that security systems in the airport were highly developed in conformity with the latest global standards and specifications. He said that the airport was equipped with the latest surveillance cameras and detection systems for luggage and metals, including 16 X-ray devices for baggage inspection, 7 metal gates for checking passengers, an automatic fire alarm system, and an access control system, in addition to a robust closed-circuit television (CCTV) system.
The airfield has been developed, through establishing a new corridor with a length of 3,650m and a width of 60m, containing a capacity of PCN 87.
A tarmac with an area of (650 m x 210 m) was set up to accommodate eight aircraft. The airport is equipped with automatic landing systems (ILS/DME), and a monitoring building with a height of 44 metres equipped with the latest air traffic management and control systems (ATC), in addition to an automatic monitoring station for aviation services.
For his part, the director of the Sphinx airport, Mohamed Siam, said that the development work aims to serve the residents of Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, and Menoufia, reduce congestion at Cairo airport, and revitalise “one-day tourism,” due to its vicinity to archaeological areas.
The director of the Sphinx airport said that the lightening system has been developed, using solar energy to light the airport buildings, in line with the environmental and sustainable development goals.
The state is working hard to improve civil aviation sector with the chief aim of reinvigorating tourism movement. The development of Sphinx airport is of great importance, especially because the airport is close to the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, Siam said.
Emergency experiment
The tour also witnessed an emergency experiment to simulate aircraft ignition, under the leadership of Major General Ahmed el-Gohary, Director of the Security Sector of Sphinx International Airport, to highlight preparations for confronting crises and emergencies.
The scenario of the experiment started, when the plane deviated its course and caught fire, which necessitated the intervention of the airport authorities and the activation of the emergency plan to contain the crisis resulting from injuries and deaths.
Each department took executive measures to carry out tasks according to its role in the scenario and the emergency plan.
Design of the airport
The design of the airport has been taken into account to emphasise the Pharaonic heritage, which reflects the civilized image of Egypt.
The main design idea relies on mixing the Pharaonic identity with modern aesthetic design, through the Pharaonic objects at the entrance to the large lobby at the airport, in addition to the integration of Pharaonic murals inside the airport.
