At a meeting with executives from the Egyptian Aviation Authorities in Sharm el Sheikh, IACA Airlines agreed to a series of measures to improve airport infrastructure in Egypt. The meeting of IACA’s ACAS Committee (Aviation Charges and Standards Committee) took place in Sharm El Sheikh on the 12th and 13th of March 2008. IACA member airlines met with Magd El Din Refaat, Chairman of EAC (Egyptian Airports Company), Abdel Hamid Eid, EgyptAir Ground Handling, and Fathy Omara, Chairman of MISR petroleum, as well as representatives from CAA and NANSC.

The number of tourist visitors to Egypt over the last four years has doubled. Against this background, the meeting was organized to strengthen the cooperation between the Egyptian aviation authorities and IACA airlines, who account for almost 40% of the flights to Egypt. It was agreed that the three main factors for the continued success and growth are improved and increased facilities for aircraft fuelling, international cooperation and support for security screening at airports, in particular, to accommodate additional female screening personnel, and professional slot coordination according to international standards.

Speaking after the meeting, Luc Geens, Manager Ground Operations, IACA, said “IACA representatives have given their full support to working together with the Egyptian ministries and the chairmen of the aviation agencies to solve these defined challenges as quickly as possible in the interest of tourism.”
“The participation and willingness expressed by all parties at IACA’s meeting was overwhelmingly positive and this lays the foundation for future success and continued growth in tourism in Egypt.”

 “When the company started negotiations with the Irish consultant Aer Rianta in 2004, we had forecasts that our revenues would jump from $35 million in 2003 to $200 million in 2010. that was an ambitious target then” explained Tawfik Assi, chairman of EgyptAir Tourism & Duty Free Company. “Now we are at the mid point of the contract, we have already achieved $60 million as revenues for the last five months, and we expect by October 2008 to exceed $150 million” added Assi. Such forecasts would indicate a 47% increase of revenues comparing to the same period last year.