Surprise inspection tour at Hurghada, Sphinx airports

By Mohamed Attia

Ahmed Mansour, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Airports Company, conducted a surprise inspection visit to Hurghada International Airport and Sphinx International Airport to assess the smoothness of operations and passenger traffic.

During the visit, Mansour inspected the departure and arrival halls, the terminal area, and ensured the provision of all services to the fullest.

Mansour expressed his gratitude to the leadership of both airports and their teams, as they provide full services and facilities to all passengers and travellers.

This comes in conjunction with Egypt’s notable tourist activity and the increasing number of visitors and tourists from around the world, as part of the efforts of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to stimulate tourism and air travel in Egypt.

IATA: Air travel demand increased by 21.5% in February last year

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has confirmed that the total demand for air travel worldwide in February 2024 recorded a 21.5% increase compared to the same period last year.

IATA added that the total capacity, measured by available seats per kilometer, increased by 18.7% on an annual basis.

Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), stated that February continued the strong start for the sector witnessed in 2024, with all markets showing significant growth in passenger traffic except for North America. He added that this growth gives us reason to be optimistic about the prospects of the sector for the current year, especially in light of airlines accelerating their investments in carbon emissions reduction, alongside the flexibility of travel demand.

For the first time, demand for global services exceeded pre-pandemic levels, recording a 0.9% increase compared to February 2019. Airlines in Asia and the Pacific recorded a 53.2% increase in travel demand.

African airlines recorded a 20.7% year-on-year increase in travel demand, with capacity increasing by 22.1% annually, while the load factor decreased to 74%. China led the growth in domestic travel demand, recording a 35.1% increase compared to February 2023, benefiting from the lifting of travel restrictions during the Lunar New Year.