Civil Aviation Minister Discusses Air Transport Cooperation With His Korean Counterpart
Minister of Civil Aviation Dr. Sameh El-Hefny held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with officials of the aviation sector in the Republic of South Korea, on the sidelines of his participation in the International Air Transport Cooperation Conference (CIAT 2025), held in the Korean city of Incheon with the participation of a number of transport ministers, heads of international organizations and airline officials from around the world.
The visit included meetings with a number of senior executives of Incheon International Airport Corporation and the two airlines Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, where opportunities for cooperation were discussed in the fields of smart airport development, infrastructure modernization and the application of digital solutions, as well as maintenance, engineering, air services and enhancing the passenger experience.
In this context, the Minister of Civil Aviation met Daniel Dongik Shin, Executive Director of the Hub Strategy Group at Incheon International Airport Corporation, and the two sides discussed mechanisms for exchanging institutional expertise, areas of digital transformation, and developing airports according to the latest global operational and technical standards.
El-Hefny also held a meeting with Korean Air's leadership, including Ko Kwang-ho, Senior Vice President of the Passenger Business Division; Choi Jung-ho, Executive Vice President for Passenger and Cargo Business; and Song Ji-joo, Manager of the Aircraft Engineering Team in the Maintenance and Engineering Division. The meeting addressed ways to enhance technical cooperation in maintenance, training and the exchange of operational knowledge.
In another meeting, the Minister of Civil Aviation met with the leadership of Asiana Airlines, in the presence of Thomas Jung-min Kim, Vice President for Regulatory Affairs, and Park Jong-man, Senior Vice President of the Passenger Business Division. The two sides discussed opportunities for cooperation in regulatory and operational aspects and the exchange of institutional experience, contributing to maximizing mutual benefit.
During the meetings, El-Hefny stressed the Ministry of Civil Aviation's keenness to strengthen partnerships with major leading international institutions in this field and to benefit from advanced expertise in airport management and operation and in developing the air transport system, in line with the Egyptian state's vision for a modern, smart and sustainable aviation sector.
He added that these meetings represent an important opportunity to exchange views with a select group of international decision-makers and experts in the air transport industry, amid a shared interest in advancing frameworks for technical and operational cooperation and developing institutional capabilities through the exchange of knowledge and specialized expertise.
El-Hefny noted that the Egyptian state attaches great importance to broadening the horizons of cooperation with friendly countries, in support of sustainable development goals, contributing to facilitating air transport traffic and achieving the highest standards of safety and operational efficiency at the regional and international levels.
It is worth noting that Minister of Civil Aviation Dr. Sameh El-Hefny took part in the International Air Transport Cooperation Conference (CIAT 2025), held on July 24 and 25 in the city of Incheon, South Korea, under the auspices of the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, with the participation of a large number of transport and civil aviation ministers and representatives of international organizations, led by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), as well as a number of officials of companies, airports and aviation regulators around the world.
The conference included a number of specialized panel and technical sessions that brought together decision-makers, representatives of international organizations and experts, with the aim of exchanging expertise, discussing future trends and reviewing technical solutions and recent innovations, contributing to supporting the resilience and sustainability of the aviation industry.
This year's CIAT conference discussed a range of vital civil aviation issues, including facilitating customs, immigration and air cargo procedures; strengthening document security and passenger safety; combating human trafficking and illegal migration; supporting innovation using artificial intelligence technologies in airport management; and emphasizing the safe transport of dangerous goods.
In his speech at the high-level forum during the conference's opening session, Dr. Sameh El-Hefny expressed his appreciation to the government of South Korea for its hosting and excellent organization, stressing that facing the overlapping challenges the aviation sector is witnessing today requires global coordination and integrated strategies at the level of policies and legislation, as well as investment in innovation and smart technologies.
El-Hefny also reviewed the strategic features of the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation, which are based on developing Cairo International Airport and liberalizing regional airports, contributing to strengthening direct air connectivity with global markets and raising the operational efficiency of flights to tourist destinations, in support of the tourism sector's targets.
The Minister of Civil Aviation pointed to expanding private sector participation in developing and operating 11 major airports, in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), contributing to raising the efficiency of services provided without placing any additional burdens on the state budget.
He highlighted the ministry's commitment to shifting toward sustainable aviation through green transformation projects, foremost among them developing Borg El Arab Airport to be Egypt's first eco-friendly airport, in addition to ongoing initiatives to produce sustainable fuel in cooperation with international partners, in support of carbon neutrality goals by 2050, within the framework of the state's Sustainable Development Vision 2030.
On the sidelines of the conference, Minister of Civil Aviation Dr. Sameh El-Hefny held a meeting with his Korean counterpart Park Sang-woo, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea, and the two sides discussed prospects for cooperation in air transport, with a focus on developing smart airports and boosting sustainable investments in the aviation sector.
They also discussed updating the bilateral air transport agreement between the two countries in line with the rapid changes in the industry, as well as supporting digital transformation and expanding the use of clean energy in operating and managing airports.
El-Hefny pointed to the importance of strengthening cooperation with international partners, foremost among them South Korea, given its advanced experience in smart infrastructure, reviewing the ministry's efforts to develop Egyptian airports by integrating smart systems and artificial intelligence and expanding the application of environmental sustainability standards through the use of renewable energy and carbon emission reduction technologies.
The Minister of Civil Aviation also invited Korean companies to participate in projects to develop the aviation sector and smart airports in Egypt, especially in light of ongoing plans to offer a number of airports for operation in partnership with the private sector, within the framework of the attractive and stimulating investment environment the state provides in the aviation sector.
For his part, the Korean minister praised the remarkable development in the Egyptian aviation sector and the effective steps to modernize infrastructure and raise the operational efficiency of airports, expressing South Korea's aspiration to strengthen cooperation with Egypt and to support Korean companies' participation in aviation and smart airport projects in the Egyptian market, given the promising opportunities it represents in this vital sector.
It is worth noting that the CIAT conference has been held every three years since 2004 and is one of the most prominent international events concerned with air transport and travel facilitation, aiming to strengthen frameworks for multilateral cooperation, exchange best practices and provide regulatory and technical insights that keep pace with the rapid changes the aviation sector is witnessing around the world.
