By Akram Medhat
Nile Air, the private Egyptian carrier, ranked second on the list of major airlines in terms of weekly flights operated at Cairo airport last July, with 115 flights, an increase of 32% over July 2016.
This growth in the rate of flight operations came as a result of strengthening the company's fleet with more aircraft of the latest international models, most notably the Airbus A321, in pursuit of the company's vision of providing better services by supporting its routes and offering wider coverage of the largest number of vital international airports in Europe and the Middle East.
These achievements are a true reflection of the company's plan and vision since its founding in 2006 to provide high-quality aviation services with the best cabin crews, and to apply the highest international procedures to achieve the greatest degree of safety and security, especially on flights with longer flying times.
Nile Air has achieved a leap and record growth, in addition to an increase in the volume of its flights. Reports by the British company "OAG" stated that the company achieved growth of 32%, the highest in July among all Arab and foreign airlines operating at Cairo International Airport, as the number of its weekly flights rose from 87 in July 2016 to 115 in July 2017, while first place is held by EgyptAir, the official state-owned carrier, with 768 weekly flights.
This achievement comes as a true crowning for Nile Air, which has managed in record time to cover 22 domestic and international destinations and to operate about 500 flights a month.
The British "OAG" report on the top 10 airlines operating at Cairo airport during July 2017:
Airline | Nationality | Weekly flights in July 2016 | Weekly flights in July 2017 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
EgyptAir | Egypt | 838 | 768 | -8% |
Nile Air | Egypt | 87 | 115 | 32% |
Saudia | Saudi Arabia | 103 | 101 | -2% |
Nesma Airlines | Egypt | 70 | 29 | -59% |
Etihad Airways | UAE | 28 | 28 | 0% |
Royal Jordanian | Jordan | 28 | 28 | 0% |
Jazeera Airways | Kuwait | 21 | 23 | 10% |
Turkish Airlines | Turkey | 21 | 21 | 0% |
flynas | Saudi Arabia | 21 | 21 | 0% |
Lufthansa | Germany | 18 | 18 | 0% |
Other airlines | - | 262 | 215 | -18% |
Total | - | 1,497 | 1,367 | -9% |
In this context, Eng. Ahmed Ali, CEO of Nile Air, said that since the company's first flight in March 2011, Nile Air has remained committed to developing air travel from Cairo in particular and Egypt in general, and over these six years new routes have been opened to places that had not been flown to before, noting that demand currently exceeds supply on flights to the main regional cities.
He added that, to support this growth, Nile Air has become one of the most important major local employers, with a strong, specialized team across Egypt of pilots, cabin crew, engineers and management. "We are always proud of what we offer as a key pillar in developing the aviation market in Egypt, which has a direct impact on the country's economy, tourism and employment," he said.
He stressed that Nile Air is keen to support the state's efforts to revive Egyptian tourism, both international and domestic, especially after launching flights to Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada, Luxor and Aswan.
It is worth noting that Nile Air was founded in 2006 and is based in Cairo, operating its aircraft mainly from Cairo International Airport as well as Borg El Arab Airport in Alexandria. Nile Air offers domestic flights within Egypt and also operates international flights to the Gulf, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and southern Europe.
