14 direct weekly flights to Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada from UK cities
As part of the ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to increase inbound tourist traffic from target tourism markets, particularly the British market, British airline Jet2.com has announced its intention to begin operating flights to Egypt for the first time, with 14 direct weekly flights to Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada from a number of UK cities starting February 2027, with an estimated capacity of around 169,000 seats in the first year of operation.
This step comes as a result of the discussions held during the meeting between Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, and Steve Heapy, CEO of the Jet2 Airlines & Holidays group, on the sidelines of World Travel Market (WTM) London 2025, which was held in the British capital, London, from November 4 to 6 this month.
According to the company's announcement, the program is scheduled to include seven direct weekly flights to Sharm El-Sheikh: two from Birmingham, one from Edinburgh, two from Manchester and two from London Stansted Airport.
The program also includes seven direct weekly flights to Hurghada: two from Birmingham, one from Glasgow, two from Manchester and two from London Stansted Airport, with operations set to increase in subsequent years, in line with the ministry's plans to expand the range of Egyptian tourist destinations and promote Egypt as a diverse destination that caters to tourists' varied interests.
The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities welcomed this step, stressing that it represents an important addition to boosting tourist flows from the British market to Egypt and strengthening Egypt's position on the map of British tourists' favorite destinations. He added that it reflects the level of confidence the Egyptian destination enjoys in the British market, one of the most important source markets for tourism to Egypt, and supports the state's efforts to strengthen Egypt's position as a year-round global tourist destination.
He noted that this step is the fruit of the constructive talks held during the ministry's participation in WTM London, pointing out that the ministry continues to intensify its efforts and expand channels of cooperation with industry partners, including tour operators and airlines, with the aim of opening new routes and increasing the number of flights to Egyptian tourist destinations in the coming period.
In this context, Eng. Ahmed Youssef, CEO of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority, explained that the cooperation and partnership with the Jet2 Airlines & Holidays group includes joint advertising campaigns targeting broad segments of British tourists, enhancing Egypt's image as an integrated tourist destination capable of attracting tourists all year round.
It is worth noting that the Jet2 Airlines & Holidays group includes Jet2.com, the third-largest airline in the United Kingdom, which has an extensive operating network from 13 UK cities, currently operates a fleet of 135 aircraft and is one of the leading contributors to leisure travel to international destinations. The group also includes Jet2holidays, the largest tour operator in the United Kingdom.
