Minister of Civil Aviation Lt. Gen. Younis Al-Masry and Minister of Tourism Dr. Rania Al-Mashat this morning witnessed the trial operation of Capital International Airport, with the landing of the first domestic flight by EgyptAir's domestic and regional airline, "Express", at the Capital airport. The airport welcomed the aircraft with a water salute, in line with the internationally recognised tradition when an aircraft lands at an airport for the first time. The airport is one of the most important new Egyptian airports and represents a new achievement and the nucleus of the newest smart architectural icon in Egypt and North Africa, the New Administrative Capital, and will contribute significantly to supporting the project's development as a gateway to the future.
In his speech, Al-Masry praised the efforts of the Armed Forces, which were responsible for building this new international airport and bore its full cost, as well as their contribution to building and developing new airports in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, namely Sphinx, Capital International, Berenice in the southern Red Sea, and El Bardawil, noting that the idea of establishing new airports belongs to President El-Sisi, and that there is almost daily follow-up on the completion of these projects.
Al-Masry stressed that the Administrative Capital airport will contribute to a comprehensive development leap in the region in particular, as it is connected to the Suez Canal Axis development project and the Ain Sokhna industrial zone, which includes important seaports and is a hub for global trade, a stronghold of industry and investment, and an important tourist destination in the coming period.
Al-Masry said the Capital airport will soon receive a number of flights, as there is a move to ease the current pressure on Cairo International Airport, given its proximity to north and east Cairo, and it will serve various governorates and the cities east of Cairo. He noted that the airport has been equipped with all modern and advanced means to receive all sizes of aircraft in the coming period, and that the trial operation allows vital facilities to be tested in a safe and well-studied manner, focusing on testing all operating systems and identifying and addressing technical problems before the airport's full operation.
During the trial operation events at Capital International Airport, Al-Masry explained that the construction of the Capital airport was financed by the Armed Forces with the assistance of Hassan Allam Construction, noting that the airport will add a great deal to air transport services and the tourism sector.
He praised Minister of Tourism Dr. Rania Al-Mashat's keenness to be present at everything related to the aviation sector, stressing that there is close and fruitful cooperation between the two ministries.
He pointed out that the ministry's support for the new charter flight incentive programme continues until 2021, out of the ministry's keenness to increase tourist arrivals to Egypt, stressing that all of the Ministry of Tourism's requests to the aviation sector are being fully implemented.
He added that the ministry's strategy places at the top of its priorities the development of Egyptian airports and the opening of expansion and investment projects, as well as improving and developing all services provided to passengers at all airports, in parallel with the EgyptAir fleet modernisation plan and its integration with private airlines, and the development of navigation and radar equipment.
For her part, Minister of Tourism Dr. Rania Al-Mashat praised the step of operating the Administrative Capital airport for its distinguished location, which will help boost tourist arrivals to Egypt in the Ain Sokhna area and the international Galala Plateau tourism project. She added that these new airports, especially Sphinx and Capital airports, contribute to boosting cultural tourism and linking visits to archaeological sites with beach tourism, and that many international and domestic flights are expected to be operated, especially with the opening of the Grand Museum.
About Capital International Airport
It is worth noting that the new Capital International Airport is located about 45 km east of Cairo International Airport and is linked to the Cairo–Suez road via a free-flow interchange, allowing safe free-flow entry to and exit from the airport and reducing traffic congestion. The airport serves the New Administrative Capital and the cities east of Cairo, namely El Shorouk, Badr and Madinaty, as well as the Canal cities of Suez, Ain Sokhna and Ismailia.
The airport covers an area of 16 km2 and includes a main building constructed on an area of 5,000 m2, comprising a passenger building with two halls for arrivals and departures and a VIP hall, with a capacity of up to 300 passengers per hour. It has 8 aircraft stands, a car park accommodating 400 cars and 20 buses, 45 service and administrative buildings, passport and customs areas, restaurants, duty-free shops, water purification and desalination plants, and a wastewater treatment plant that uses the water for agriculture.
The airport has a 50-metre air traffic control tower and a runway 3,650 metres long and 60 metres wide, equipped with a runway lighting system for night use and Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), in addition to runway shoulders of up to 15 metres on both sides, and it can receive large aircraft.
The airport has been equipped to the highest international specifications with the latest modern systems for securing and managing airports, through camera surveillance systems that capture the finest details, as well as thermal surveillance cameras, baggage screening systems, automatic fire alarms and a system for dealing with flash floods.
In addition, the airport was designed according to a system that allows its future development and expansion, given the available space, in the event of the expected increase in passenger traffic in this promising area, and future runway development was also taken into account to keep pace with the increase in air traffic.
It is worth noting that the trial operation was attended by Captain Sameh El-Hefny, head of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority; Captain Ahmed Gonina, chairman of the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation; Captain Ahmed Adel, chairman of EgyptAir Holding Company; Captain Wael El-Nashar, chairman of the Egyptian Airports Company; the heads of Egyptian private airlines; and leaders of the relevant agencies of the Ministry of Interior.
Responding to a question about Cairo Airport receiving charter flights like the new Capital airport, the Minister of Civil Aviation stressed that Cairo Airport is ready to receive all flights from any country, whether charter or scheduled, adding that Egyptian airports are open so that an airline can move from one domestic point to another, and this does not affect EgyptAir.
He explained that any airline requesting to operate flights to Cairo Airport obtains approval, but within the framework of bilateral agreements on available flight hours, adding that no request from any airline wishing to use the airport has been rejected, although Cairo Airport has unique negotiating power compared with other Egyptian airports.
