NEW ALAMEIN CITY, Egypt, June 28 (MENA) - President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has directed that the development of Egyptian airports continue through international partnerships grounded in efficiency and sustainability, alongside encouraging private sector involvement.

The steps are part of Egypt Vision 2030, aiming to transform airports into advanced regional hubs operating under the latest global systems, while also providing an attractive investment climate that ensures economic viability and sustainable development, Presidential Spokesman Mohamed El Shennawy said in a statement Saturday following Sisi's meeting in Alamein with Civil Aviation Minister Sameh el Hafny and Chairperson of EgyptAir In-Flight Services Soheir Abdallah.

The meeting reviewed the comprehensive strategic vision to advance the civil aviation sector, covering air navigation, fleet expansion, airport upgrades, and human resource development in support of Egypt’s target to raise annual tourist arrivals to 30 million.

The President was also briefed on the "New Republic Air Gate" at Terminal 4 of Cairo International Airport, including the technical and operational specifications of the project, which will establish a new passenger terminal under the highest global standards, with a capacity of at least 30 million passengers, raising the airport’s overall capacity to over 60 million annually.

The project will fully comply with safety, security, and environmental sustainability standards.

The minister further outlined the national strategy, developed with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as the ministry’s strategic advisor, to involve the private sector in operating and developing airports.

The plan aims to be finalized by summer 2025 and seeks to enhance the civil aviation sector’s efficiency, improve passenger services, and attract private investments and advanced operational expertise to develop 11 key airports, while fully maintaining public ownership of these strategic assets.

Sisi instructed moving ahead with modern airport development approaches and to offer Hurghada Airport for private sector partnership by the end of 2025.

The spokesman added the meeting also covered Egypt’s air navigation sector, highlighting international praise for the country’s air traffic management amid recent regional crises and neighboring airspace closures, which increased traffic over Egypt to more than 1,600 aircraft daily.

Organizations such as Eurocontrol, ICAO, and IATA commended Egyptian air traffic controllers for managing the surge efficiently without compromising safety or operational discipline.

The talks also tackled plans to restructure Egypt’s airspace and upgrade radar and communication systems.

The session further touched on EgyptAir’s recent progress, including winning, for the first time, the Skytrax award for "Best Airline Staff in Africa" for 2025 during the Paris Air Show. The airline also earned awards for best economy class meals, fastest-growing airline in Africa (for the second year running), and best cabin crew on the continent.

The minister noted EgyptAir advanced 20 places from last year, ranking 68th among the world’s top 100 airlines out of over 325 carriers, and outlined the airline’s plan to grow its fleet to 97 aircraft by 2028/2029 to boost competitiveness and enhance passenger experience.

Additionally, he reviewed efforts to upgrade EgyptAir In-Flight Services by improving infrastructure and equipment, training staff, modernizing ground services, elevating international service standards, and upgrading business lounges to meet the highest levels of comfort and service. The company is also working to improve its on-time performance. (MENA)

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