Egypt plans aviation growth with UK partnerships

Egypt is committed to strengthening aviation ties with the UK, Minister of Civil Aviation, Sameh El-Hefny, has said, highlighting long-standing bilateral relations that have been instrumental in the sector’s development, according to a Cabinet statement.

This came during El-Hefny’s official visit to London as part of the Civil Aviation Business Mission to the UK on February 3-5, 2025, where he took part in a panel discussion titled “Shaping the Future of Egyptian Civil Aviation,” which focused on partnerships in aviation, technology, infrastructure, maintenance, and air transport services.

El-Hefny highlighted strategic projects to modernise Egypt’s airports, including expanding Cairo International Airport’s capacity and growing EgyptAir’s fleet to 97 aircraft by 2028. He noted that the government is providing incentives to private airlines to enhance market competitiveness.

Egypt is enhancing its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities through EgyptAir Maintenance & Engineering, utilising advanced technologies for global expansion, the minister said. He added that the government is involving the private sector in airport operations, targeting an annual passenger capacity of 100 million by 2030, with projections of 50.5 million passengers by the end of 2025.

El-Hefny further highlighted the Cairo Cargo City project, which aims to position Egypt as a regional hub for air freight and global trade, reinforcing its role as a gateway to Africa and the Middle East.

Chairman of Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation (EHAAN), Ayman Arab, stated that Egypt is modernising airport infrastructure with artificial intelligence and biometric systems while strengthening international partnerships to boost operational efficiency. He added that Cairo has been designated as a regional office for the Airports Council International (ACI) and will host major aviation conferences.

Arab also highlighted investment opportunities in Egypt’s airport cities, emphasising non-aeronautical revenue streams and innovative business partnerships to drive growth in aviation-related industries.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English

Subediting: M. S. Salama

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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