Air Cairo, the Egypt’s low-fare carrier, plans to expand its fleet to 40 aircraft within the next three months. Country’s Minister of Civil Aviation, Sameh ElHefny made the announcement and said Egypt’s aviation sector is undergoing significant developments aimed at enhancing its fleet capacity, modernizing infrastructure, and boosting tourism.
This initiative aims to enhance tourism from Arab and European countries and increase air traffic to Egypt. The airline is set to receive three aircraft in February, with additional deliveries in March and April.
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, a significant improvement from EGP 30 billion in previous years. In October 2024, EgyptAir and Air Cairo signed a code-sharing agreement, expanding their networks and offering passengers a wider range of destinations.
Vision 2030
The Egyptian government has offered to privatize the management of 11 airports, excluding Cairo International Airport, as part of a broader strategy to attract private sector investment in the aviation industry.
This aligns with Egypt’s plan to increase airport capacity to 72.2 million passengers annually and expand EgyptAir’s fleet to 97 aircraft, including six cargo planes, by 2027. The goal is to accommodate 30 million tourists annually and 100 million passengers by 2030. Efforts are also underway to modernize airport infrastructure, improve service quality, and enhance air navigation systems to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining international safety and security standards.
Despite challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical instability, Air Cairo has successfully doubled its fleet in recent years.