The airport prepares to host the second edition of the aerospace show in September
In light of the development boom in New Alamein City, the Ministry of Civil Aviation continues to implement its plans to develop and raise the efficiency of El Alamein International Airport, keeping pace with the rapid growth in travel, tourism and investment and strengthening its readiness to host the second edition of the El Alamein International Aerospace Show (EIAS 2026), scheduled for September, in coordination and cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, the Air Force and the Egyptian Space Agency.
The airport's operating indicators confirmed continued positive performance and unprecedented growth, with passenger numbers in the first half of 2026 rising to 266,593, compared with 169,541 in the same period of 2025, a growth of 57%. Flights reached 3,193, compared with 2,542 last year, an increase of 26%.
The number of airlines operating at the airport also rose to 15, including Etihad Airways, flydubai, flynas, Air Cairo and Saudia, reflecting growing demand for travel to New Alamein City and strengthening the airport's position as a main air gateway to the North Coast.
With the start of the summer 2026 season, the airport received new flights from a number of international airlines, including Romania's Tarom, Poland's Enter Air, Bulgaria's BH Air and Gulf Air, with the number of operating airlines expected to rise to 26 by the end of the season.
The airport is expected to see further expansion of its international route network in the coming period, supporting the state's efforts to increase tourism and investment traffic and strengthening New Alamein City's position as an integrated year-round economic and tourist destination.
In this context, Minister of Civil Aviation Dr. Sameh El Hefny stressed that the results achieved by El Alamein International Airport reflect the success of the Egyptian state's vision of turning New Alamein City into a global center for tourism, business and investment, noting that the rapid growth in passenger and flight numbers reflects growing confidence in Egypt as a destination and the efficiency of the modern infrastructure built to the highest international standards.
El Hefny added that the ministry is working according to an integrated plan to develop El Alamein International Airport and raise its operational readiness to accommodate expected growth in the coming period, especially as the city hosts major international events, led by the El Alamein International Aerospace Show 2026, a global platform for strengthening international cooperation and showcasing the latest developments in the aviation and space industries.
The minister explained that development work at the airport has included redistributing space inside the passenger terminal to increase capacity and improve the flow of movement, as well as increasing the number of check-in counters by adding mobile counters, expanding the departure hall, upgrading baggage belts in the arrival hall and modernizing the baggage handling system with the latest technologies, ensuring a more efficient, higher-quality travel experience for passengers.
El Hefny stressed that hosting the second edition of the El Alamein International Aerospace Show reflects Egypt's growing standing on the regional and international aviation and space industry map and helps open new horizons for partnerships, investment and the transfer of expertise and advanced technology, supporting the state's targets of building a modern civil aviation sector able to compete regionally and globally.
This is part of the Ministry of Civil Aviation's strategy to develop Egypt's airport system to the latest international standards, helping to enhance the efficiency of the aviation sector's infrastructure, support the targets of Egypt's vision to increase tourist numbers to 30 million a year by 2030, and consolidate the state's position as a leading regional hub for air transport, tourism and investment.
