Flights in Egypt surge by 29% in H1 of 2023

CAIRO - 19 July 2023: The number of flights in Egypt increased by about 29 percent during the first six months of 2023, totaling 191,000 flights, compared to 148,000 flights in the same period of 2022, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Wednesday.

 

The ministry added that the number of passengers increased by about 43.5 percent to a total of 23.2 million passengers during the first half of  2023, compared to 16.15 million passengers in the same period of 2022.

 

Minister of Civil Aviation, Mohamed Abbas Helmy, stated that several new routes are expected to be opened for EgyptAir in the coming period.

 

Helmy explained that the first flights of the company to the Indian capital, "New Delhi," are scheduled to start in August, with four flights per week.

 

In September, EgyptAir will begin operating two weekly flights to both the city of "Misrata" in Libya and "Tokyo" in Japan, in addition to the recently launched routes such as "Dhaka" in Bangladesh and "Manchester" in the United Kingdom.

 

EgyptAir achieved an increase in passenger numbers in June 2023, reaching 12 percent on an annual basis, in addition to an increase in aircraft occupancy rate, which reached 77 percent.

 

In June, EgyptAir achieved a third increase in the number of flights, recording 9 percent, in addition to an increase in the offered seat capacity on its flights by 24 percent annually.

 

The company has developed a comprehensive plan to modernize the operating system and implement full electronic transformation in all services, as well as to develop lounges, services, and systems provided to its customers. This reflects the company's efforts to achieve new levels that qualify it to compete in the global aviation markets, enhance its revenues, and increase its operational profits.

 

Furthermore, a set of projects in the field of civil aviation is being implemented, targeting the development of services and facilities and increasing the airport's capacity. This includes expanding EgyptAir's network of routes, updating its air fleet, and opening new points to various destinations worldwide, as well as acquiring a larger share of travel traffic to and from Egypt to maximize revenues and develop state resources.

 

In June, EgyptAir was excluded from the list of the top 100 airlines and the top 10 Arab airlines in the latest survey conducted by Skytrax, the commercial airline rating company. In 2022, the company secured the 95th position, but this year it was omitted from the ranking due to its mounting debts and ongoing losses.

 

Competing airlines in Africa and the Middle East have surpassed EgyptAir in the rankings, with Ethiopian Airlines at 35th place, South African Airways at 72nd place, Kenya Airways at 73rd place, Air Mauritius at 78th place, and RwandAir at 90th place.

 

Following the announcement of the rankings, EgyptAir's losses have come under scrutiny, and questions have been raised about its deteriorating performance. Member of Parliament Hanaa Anis has submitted a request for a briefing to the Speaker of the House of Representatives regarding the company's exclusion from the ranking. Anis pointed out that EgyptAir has incurred losses of LE 30 billion since the 2020 COVID-19 crisis until the end of 2022.