Dr. Sameh El-Hefny, Minister of Civil Aviation, held a series of bilateral meetings with a number of transport and aviation ministers and officials from Iceland, Germany, Canada, Japan and Brazil on the sidelines of the meetings of the 42nd session of the Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada, as part of strengthening international partnerships and broadening the horizons of cooperation in the air transport industry.
During El-Hefny's meeting with the Icelandic delegation, the Icelandic side put forward a proposal to study operating direct flights between the two countries, in addition to coordination in aviation security and technical capacity building. The Minister of Civil Aviation expressed his support for the proposal, noting that direct connectivity will help boost tourism and trade between the two countries.
In his meeting with Stefan Schnorr, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Transport of Germany, and Dr. Wilhelm Eschweiler, Director General of German Civil Aviation, digitalization, skills development and the modernization of operating systems were discussed. Dr. Sameh El-Hefny explained that the Egyptian civil aviation sector is moving toward modernization and development according to the latest standards, while the German side praised Egypt's leadership in the region.
El-Hefny also met with Arun Thangaraj, Deputy Minister of Transport of Canada, and Karine Aselin, Canada's Permanent Representative on the ICAO Council, where the meeting addressed cooperation on safe aviation standards and civil aviation regulation, as well as ways to exchange regulatory experience. The Canadian officials expressed their appreciation for Egypt's contribution to supporting the international aviation system.
In his meeting with Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Tetsuo Saito, opportunities for joint work in digital transformation and the application of smart systems in air transport were reviewed, in addition to the exchange of technical expertise. The Japanese minister expressed his country's aspiration to develop relations with Egypt in a way that serves the economic and tourism interests of both sides.
In his meeting with Tiago Faierstein, head of Brazil's civil aviation authority, the focus was on low-cost aviation, developing airport operating mechanisms and increasing passenger and cargo traffic between Egypt and Latin America. El-Hefny explained that Brazil is one of the leading countries in the aviation sector in Latin America thanks to its network of major airports and its national airlines, which enhances opportunities for partnership with Egypt in this vital field.
At the conclusion of his meetings, Dr. Sameh El-Hefny noted that the ministry's strategy is based on openness and widening the circles of international coordination, consolidating Egypt's presence as a pivotal hub for air transport regionally and internationally and supporting the national economy by boosting tourism and trade.
