El-Sisi orders airport development push, eyes PPPs for Hurghada airport by end-2025
Updated 6/29/2025 6:09:00 AM
Arab Finance: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi directed proceeding with the development of airports, in addition to offering Hurghada Airport for public-private partnerships (PPPs) by the end of 2025, Spokesman for the Presidency Mohamed El-Shennawy announced.
During his meeting with Minister of Civil Aviation Sameh El-Hefny and Chairperson of EgyptAir In-Flight Services Soheir Abdullah, El-Sisi reviewed plans to enhance the civil aviation sector in line with the state’s objectives to raise the number of tourists to 30 million.
He followed up on the latest developments of air navigation, aircraft fleet, airport upgrades, and enhancement of human resource capabilities.
For his part, El-Hefny outlined the national strategy to involve the private sector in airport operations, based on an agreement signed with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in March 2025.
Scheduled to be completed by the end of summer 2025, the strategy aims to integrate the private sector in the operation and development of Egyptian airports.
This will improve civil aviation performance, boost operational efficiency, enhance service quality for travelers, and attract private investment and high operational expertise to develop 11 major airports, while ensuring these vital assets remain publicly owned.
El-Hefny also touched on the “New Republic Air Gateway” project, which covers establishing a new passenger terminal as per the latest international standards, with a capacity of no less than 30 million passengers.
Complying with the safety, security, and environmental sustainability standards, the project would raise the airport’s annual capacity to more than 60 million passengers.
The development of Egyptian airports falls within the framework of Egypt Vision 2030, which seeks to transform airports into advanced regional hubs operating under the latest global operational systems.
This plan is expected to secure an attractive investment environment that ensures economic feasibility and sustainable development.
Additionally, the meeting addressed the air navigation file, highlighting the international recognition of Egypt’s air traffic control system, particularly amid the recent crisis in the Middle East and the closure of airspace in neighboring countries.
These circumstances resulted in a surge in air traffic over Egyptian airspace to more than 1,600 flights daily.
Finally, they discussed EgyptAir’s fleet renewal plan, aiming to reach 97 aircraft by fiscal year (FY) 2028/2029, boosting its competitiveness and enhancing the travel experience.
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