Egypt plans to engage private sector in airports’ management and operation

Egypt's Ministry of Civil Aviation has announced plans to outsource airports' management and operations to the private sector, aligning with broader government efforts to increase private sector involvement in the economy. In a statement to the cabinet's media office on Saturday 3/8/2024, the ministry said the private sector 'is best positioned to manage and operate airport facilities efficiently.' The ministry added that such a step is expected to attract more investment in the aviation sector and maximize its economic returns while dismissing reports of airport sales to foreign entities. 'The Egyptian airports are fully state-owned and subject to Egyptian sovereignty,' asserted the statement. The ministry outlined a strategy focused on infrastructure upgrades, advanced security systems, expanding airline networks, and supporting low-cost carriers to enhance airports' efficiency and capacity. Over the past two years, the Egyptian government has taken measures to reduce state involvement in various secto rs, including transportation, as part of the State Ownership Policy Document approved by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in late 2022. As part of the document, Egypt seeks to double the private sector's contribution to the country's economic activities to 65 percent within a couple of years. Last year, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly unveiled the plan to privitize airports' management and operation, discussing the initiative with representatives from over 20 transportation, logistics, and maritime navigation companies. The country's airports witnessed a 28 percent surge in passenger traffic in 2023, reaching nearly 47 million passengers compared to the previous year. Additionally, the number of flights passing through Egyptian airports rose by 23 percent, reaching 365,000 flights. Cairo International Airport, the country's largest air hub, served over 26 million passengers through 198,000 flights last year. Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh, popular tourist destinations, welcomed 8.7 million and 5.9 million p assengers, respectively. Borg El Arab International Airport handled over two million travellers. Egypt attracted a record-breaking 7.069 million tourists between January and June 2024, compared to 7.062 million in the same period last year. Egypt has ambitious plans to attract 30 million tourists by 2028. Source: State Information Service Egypt