Dr. Sameh El-Hefny, Minister of Civil Aviation, held a series of high-level meetings with leaders of a number of major global companies specializing in airport operation and management on the sidelines of his participation in the 55th Paris International Air Show 2025 "Le Bourget," running from June 16 to 22 this month.
The meetings aim to explore opportunities for joint cooperation in digitalization, smart operations, environmental sustainability and the exchange of expertise, supporting the Egyptian state's Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Egyptian airports into advanced regional hubs that rely on the latest global operating systems.
A number of senior officials took part in the meetings, including Ambassador Alaa Youssef, Egypt's Ambassador to France; Amani Metwally, Permanent Undersecretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation; and Captain Amr El-Sharkawy, Head of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority.
Dr. Sameh El-Hefny, Minister of Civil Aviation, began his meetings with a meeting with Philippe Pascal, CEO of Groupe ADP, and Christelle de Robillard, Chief Financial Officer and Director of Strategy and Development at the group, in the presence of their accompanying delegation.
The meeting addressed aspects of joint cooperation in the Cairo International Airport development project, drawing on Groupe ADP's global expertise in design, management and operation, and on applying the latest sustainability and clean energy standards.
In this context, Philippe Pascal, CEO of Groupe ADP, expressed his appreciation for the Egyptian government's efforts to modernize and develop the aviation sector, stressing the group's aspiration for a close partnership in the Cairo International Airport development project by providing innovative and sustainable operational solutions that reflect its extensive experience in managing international airports, supporting Egypt's aspirations for excellence and leadership in this strategic sector.
The Minister of Civil Aviation also held an expanded meeting with officials of Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), reviewing the group's experience in managing and operating Leonardo da Vinci International Airport and discussing areas of cooperation in developing the infrastructure of Egyptian airports and enhancing their operational efficiency.
During the meeting, the group's officials expressed their pride in strengthening ties of cooperation with Egypt's Ministry of Civil Aviation, stressing their aspiration to transfer their extensive experience in airport operations, helping to support Egypt's efforts to modernize its infrastructure and enhance its air connectivity with the world in accordance with the highest international standards. The group also expressed its desire to study partnership opportunities at a number of Egyptian airports, strengthening joint cooperation and supporting sustainable development in the air transport sector.
El-Hefny also met a delegation from the Dutch Royal Schiphol Group, operator of Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport and a number of European airports, where they discussed ways of cooperating in smart management, digitalization and improving operational efficiency, as well as applying environmental sustainability concepts.
Hans van de Berg, Director of International Business Development at Royal Schiphol Group, said: "We believe in the importance of exchanging expertise and knowledge with our partners in Egypt, and we recognize that its strategic location, along with its development ambitions, makes it a pivotal partner in enhancing the efficiency of airport operations and applying digitalization and sustainability concepts in managing aviation facilities."
In another meeting, the Minister of Civil Aviation met Serkan Kaptan, CEO of Turkey's TAV Airports, reviewing opportunities for cooperation in operating and maintaining a number of Egyptian airports and discussing the establishment of a specialized training academy to qualify national cadres, the localization of digital airport management systems, and the development of duty-free shops and commercial services.
Serkan Kaptan, CEO of TAV Airports, stressed that the Egyptian airport sector offers promising investment opportunities and that the company is working to build long-term strategic partnerships with Egypt's Ministry of Civil Aviation aimed at raising the efficiency of airport operations, developing their services and contributing to preparing national cadres in line with global best practices.
At the conclusion of the meetings, Dr. Sameh El-Hefny, Minister of Civil Aviation, stated that the meetings held in Paris represent an important step toward implementing effective models of public-private partnership in the management, operation and development of Egyptian airports, enhancing performance efficiency and keeping pace with developments in the global air transport industry. He added that the ministry is currently working, in cooperation with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the strategic adviser to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, on offering the first Egyptian airports to the private sector for management and operation before the end of this year, with Hurghada International Airport to be the first of these projects.
El-Hefny added that the Ministry of Civil Aviation is moving forward with implementing an integrated national strategy aimed at developing Egyptian airports through international partnerships, technology transfer and local capacity building, helping to improve the travel experience, raise operational efficiency and increase the competitiveness of Egyptian airports at the regional and international levels.
The Minister of Civil Aviation also invited officials of the international companies to make field visits to Egypt in the coming period to see the scale of investment opportunities available at Egyptian airports and learn in more detail about the projects offered for development, stressing that the state attaches special importance to attracting high-quality investments in the aviation sector and providing a balanced investment environment that ensures economic feasibility and sustainable development.
