Air Cairo to expand fleet to 40 aircraft within 3 months
The minister made his remarks during the Sunday 95th-anniversary celebration of Egyptian aviation.
ElHefny said reaching 40 aircraft is a key part of ِAir Cairo's strategy to boost tourism from Arab and European countries and increase air traffic to Egypt.
He added that the company would receive three aircraft in February and two others in March and April.
The minister also highlighted Air Cairo’s success story, revealing that despite the challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical instability, which affected international tourism, the airline has doubled its fleet in recent years.
EgyptAir's fleet modernization
Similarly, EgyptAir is upgrading its fleet by leasing 18 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft and purchasing 10 Airbus A350-900 wide-body planes.
The airline's accumulated losses decreased to EGP 16 billion by the end of FY2023/2024, significantly improving from EGP 30 billion in previous years.
Despite global challenges, including delays in aircraft engine production, EgyptAir continues to focus on improving operational reliability.
In October 2024, EgyptAir and Air Cairo signed a code-sharing agreement, expanding their networks and maximizing benefits for passengers.
The move is part of a broader strategy to integrate the two carriers and offer travellers a wider range of destinations.
Airport privatization
According to Asharq Bloomberg, Egypt offered to privatize the management of 11 airports, excluding Cairo International Airport.
This decision followed Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly's December 2024 announcement, which outlined plans to privatize airport management and involve public-private partnerships (PPPs) through a contract with the International Finance Corporation.
This aligns with a broader strategy to attract private sector investment in the country’s aviation industry.
According to the government's plan for 2024/2025-2026/2027, Egypt aims to increase the capacity of its airports to 72.2 million passengers annually and expand EgyptAir's fleet to 97 aircraft, including six cargo planes.
The goal is to receive 30 million tourists annually and 100 million passengers by 2030.
The ongoing efforts are expected to strengthen Egypt’s position as a regional and global logistics hub for civil aviation and support the country’s tourism and investment growth.
ElHefny also outlined plans to expand EgyptAir’s fleet by 2029 significantly. However, he noted that this expansion could be delayed due to supply chain issues.
Egypt was supposed to receive 12 aircraft, but it will only receive one in September.
In addition, he emphasized that Egypt’s civil aviation sector is undergoing a comprehensive modernization and digital transformation aimed at improving service quality, enhancing airport infrastructure, and increasing capacity.