Minister of Civil Aviation Sameh El Hefny said Egypt plans to build a fourth passenger terminal at Cairo International Airport and has received interest from 68 international companies and consortiums to manage and operate Hurghada International Airport.
Addressing the House Committee on Tourism and Aviation, Elhefny said the construction of Terminal 4 is a national project aimed at expanding the capacity of Cairo Airport and transforming it into a regional hub through the application of the latest technologies and operating systems.
The minister clarified the government’s position on private sector involvement, saying Egypt’s airports are “sovereign assets and not for sale.” He pointed out that cooperation with the private sector will be limited to managerial and commercial activities to improve service efficiency.
Hurghada International Airport will serve as a pilot for this program, which will be implemented in cooperation with the International Finance Corporation (IFC). El Hefny said 68 global companies and alliances have already collected terms of reference for the certification process. The results of the Hurghada experience will be evaluated before being rolled out to other airports in Egypt.
Regarding digital transformation, Elhefny announced that Egypt has started phasing out paper entry and exit cards. The transition took place in the seasonal terminal on January 27th, with a pilot phase in Terminal 3 from February 13th to February 17th. The system will be gradually expanded to all terminals and airports in Egypt. The ministry is also coordinating with the Ministry of Home Affairs to enable electronic gates (E-Gates) for passengers.
The Minister detailed the major expansion of the national airline EgyptAir. EgyptAir is currently implementing plans to add 34 aircraft to its fleet, including 16 Airbus A350-900s and 18 Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft. This expansion will bring the fleet to 97 aircraft by 2030/31. The airline is also upgrading cabins on 19 Boeing 737-800s and two wide-body Airbus A330-200s.
On the financial front, Elhefny reported that EgyptAir achieved record profit margins and succeeded in reducing losses by more than 50% from the previous year. The ministry aims to completely eliminate these losses within four years.
Cairo Air, the ministry’s economic and charter arm, currently operates 40 aircraft and plans to expand to a target of 82 aircraft within the next four years to integrate with EgyptAir’s network.
Mr. Elhefny highlighted EgyptAir’s recent international recognition, noting that EgyptAir has risen to 68th place in the 2025 Skytrax World Rankings, an increase of 20 places from 2024. The company won the Best Economy Class Inflight Catering Award, Africa’s Most Improved Airline Award for the second consecutive year, and Africa’s Best Flight Attendant and Airline Staff Award.
Additional reforms include the reorganization of Egyptian airspace to reallocate air routes. The minister said this would reduce flight distances and flight times, leading to lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions, and attracting more traffic.
Mr. Elhefny also addressed the regulation of hot air balloons, explaining that hot air balloons are an important promotional tool for tourism that must adhere to the highest safety and security standards.
The assembly, chaired by MP Sahar Talat Mostafa, included discussions on the ministry’s future strategy and responses to requests for clarification from committee members on infrastructure and service development.
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