Egypt will be reopening all airports on July 1 – minister

Egypt will be reopening all its airports for scheduled international traffic starting July 1, the country’s civil aviation minister Mohamed Manar Enaba said on Sunday.

The move came after Egypt had suspended regular commercial flights in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The minister told a news conference that flights would resume gradually at the airports from the beginning of July.

Domestic flights have continued during the pandemic crisis, and the government has allowed hotels to operate at 50 percent capacity since June 1.

Foreign tourism will be limited to resorts in three coastal provinces, Enaba said, after the government announced earlier on Thursday it would reopen Egypt’s main seaside resorts for international flights and foreign tourists from July 1.

Both Minister Enaba and Tourism Minister Khaled al-Anani outlined measures to be taken inside planes, at airports, and in hotels to help to ensure the health and safety of foreign tourists.

Travellers from countries with confirmed high rates of coronavirus infections, based on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) assessments, need to be tested before coming to Egypt, Enaba and al-Anani said.

The pandemic has severely affected Egypt’s tourism industry, which accounts for 5 percent of economic output and may be as much as 15 percent if jobs and investment indirectly related to the industry are included.

To date, Egypt has a total of confirmed 44,598 coronavirus cases and 1,575 deaths.