Latest news with #CairoInternationalAirport
Arabian Post
a day ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
Egyptair Boosts Fleet with Six More A350-900 Jets
Egyptair has confirmed an order for six additional Airbus A350‑900 wide‑body aircraft, increasing its total commitment to 16 for the type. Chairman and Chief Executive Captain Ahmed Adel said the deal will enable the carrier to meet escalating passenger demand and support an ambitious global expansion set for completion over the next five years. The announcement, made at the Paris Air Show on 18 June 2025, follows the airline's earlier acquisition of ten A350‑900s at the Dubai Air Show in 2023. Egyptair's increasing reliance on the A350 underscores its focus on modernising its international fleet with fuel-efficient, long‑range aircraft. A vital component of the airline's strategy is sustainability. Powered by Rolls‑Royce Trent XWB engines, the A350‑900 consumes approximately 25 percent less fuel than older wide‑body models and emits proportionally fewer CO₂ emissions. Its Airspace cabin offers passengers enhanced comfort with wider seats, higher ceilings, and ambient lighting, all of which align with growing expectations for premium long-haul travel. ADVERTISEMENT Adel highlighted the broader impact of this investment, stating it will 'contribute to Egypt's broader efforts to promote more sustainable air transport'. Airbus Executive Vice‑President Sales Benoît de Saint-Exupéry added that the second A350 order is testament to the aircraft's value as a cornerstone in the carrier's growth and decarbonisation plan. The A350‑900, certified to operate with up to 50 percent sustainable aviation fuel and targeted to be 100 percent SAF‑capable by 2030, provides a critical tool for airlines pushing to lower their carbon footprints. Industry analysts note that global demand for newer, more efficient wide‑body aircraft remains strong, with Airbus reducing supply‑chain headwinds by around 40 percent in early 2025. With over 1,390 A350s on order across 60 airlines as of May 2025, the A350 program has become integral to carriers renewing their long‑haul fleets. Cairo International Airport will serve as the operational base for Egyptair's A350 deployment. The aircraft's 9,700‑nautical‑mile range unlocks new nonstop routes to North America and Asia, while improving efficiency on existing services. This expansion mirrors trends among global carriers embracing larger, eco‑efficient aircraft to meet both strategic growth objectives and environmental targets. The airline's current long‑haul fleet includes Airbus A330‑200s, A330‑300s, Boeing 777‑300ERs and 787‑9 Dreamliners. The staged introduction of the new A350s, expected to begin later this year, will gradually transform Egyptair's fleet mix. As the Paris Air Show concludes, Airbus has secured multiple major orders including freighter deals with MNG Airlines and continuing negotiations with other carriers such as AirAsia, signalling a robust market for next‑generation aircraft as airlines seek both growth and sustainability.
Egypt Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Egypt Today
Egypt-Serbia Trade Triples to $300 Million Amid Strengthening Bilateral Ties
CAIRO - 18 June 2025: The volume of trade between Egypt and Serbia surged over threefold in 2023, reaching $300 million, up from $94 million in 2022—marking a significant leap in economic cooperation between the two countries. Speaking at the Egypt-Serbia Business Forum held yesterday, Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly underscored the remarkable growth in bilateral relations. He expressed confidence that this positive trajectory will continue, particularly following the Egyptian Parliament's ratification—on May 26—of a Free Trade Agreement between Egypt and Serbia. The agreement will gradually eliminate tariffs and quantitative restrictions on the movement of goods between the two nations, paving the way for enhanced trade and economic integration. Madbouly further noted that Egypt-Serbia cooperation goes beyond the exchange of goods, encompassing sectors such as services, logistics, tourism, and strategic infrastructure partnerships—particularly across Africa, along with collaborative efforts in the reconstruction of neighboring countries. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Madbouly personally welcomed Serbian Prime Minister Gjorge Matović at Cairo International Airport, as he arrived in Egypt leading a high-level delegation to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Mada
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mada
Global March to Gaza coordinator arrested amid ongoing police crackdown
The Global March to Gaza called on Egyptian authorities to release Saif Abukeshek — one of the initiative's coordinators — along with all other detainees who had traveled to Egypt to participate in the march. In a statement issued Tuesday, the organizers condemned the continued targeting of foreign delegations by Egyptian police. This comes despite their announcement on Monday that all planned activities in Egypt had been suspended and that the coordinators were committed to operating within the bounds of the law. Nonetheless, plainclothes police officers continued to track down and forcibly remove participants 'from hotel rooms, cafes, shops and the streets, without cause or explanation,' according to the Tuesday statement, a copy of which Mada Masr reviewed. On Monday afternoon, three participants were targeted while sitting at a cafe in Cairo: Norwegian nationals Jona Selhi and Huthayfa Abuserriya and Spanish-Palestinian Saif Abukeshek. The three, the statement read, were 'blindfolded, handcuffed, interrogated and brutally beaten,' with no formal charges. Selhi, who was allowed a brief phone call while in police custody, relayed the information. The two Norwegians were later transferred to a detention center at Cairo International Airport, according to the statement. Abukeshek remains in custody, with his whereabouts still unknown. Selhi said Abukeshek was 'singled out' for particularly severe abuse. Egyptian authorities also deported eight Tunisian activists on Tuesday. One of the deportees wrote on Facebook that they were held for six hours at Cairo International Airport, during which they were subjected to insults and violence before being deported under police escort. Their passports, he wrote while on the plane, were confiscated, only to be returned upon arrival in Tunisia. In a statement issued Monday, the Global March to Gaza said that Egyptian authorities detained two members of its international coordination committee — French national Hicham El Ghaoui and Canadian national Manuel Tapial — before deporting them. Later that day, the coordinators instructed all participants to leave Egypt. They explained that the decision came after they met the day before with embassies of the participating delegations and received mixed responses — some were supportive and willing to defend the marchers, while others were not. The Global March to Gaza, launched this month, brought over 4,000 activists from more than 80 countries to Egypt in an attempt to peacefully approach the Rafah border crossing and draw attention to Gaza's deepening humanitarian crisis. However, since their arrival, they have faced intimidation and arrests from Egyptian authorities which ultimately forced the organization to instruct delegations to leave Cairo earlier this week.
Mada
6 days ago
- Politics
- Mada
Update: Authorities use force to disperse Global March to Gaza participants
The march's organisers posted an urgent call in the evening for all participants to return to Cairo given the 'escalating violence.' One of the participants explained to Mada Masr the escalation that took place throughout the day: 'People started getting stopped at the second checkpoint on the road to Ismailia at around 12:30 am. More people started arriving and getting held up. There were delegations from everywhere, North Africa, France, Netherlands, Switzerland. They took our passports, and we waited for over four hours until we got the passports back. Some people left right there and then. Other people decided to stay. Those who stayed gathered in a square near the mosque. Everyone sat down and we started chanting. At this point, authorities started doing intimidation tactics. Saying either we leave willingly, or we stay and will get beaten up. Everyone was given the option and the Canadian delegation decided to stay. We were chanting and slowly they started spraying the air with something and closing in on us with some soldiers. They sent in infiltrators wearing white abayas and covering their face. They started beating people up and throwing water bottles at people. They had whips and batons and were extremely violent and aggressive. Some people were dragged on the floor. The purpose was to get people to leave.' Earlier on Friday, Egyptian authorities continued to deport several international activists taking part in the march, including foreign individuals who had entered the country via Cairo International Airport the previous day. Deportations took place as activists attempted to travel toward the city of Ismailia from various locations across central Cairo. Organizers from the different countries' delegations had circulated instructions in the morning designating a hotel in Ismailia as the meeting point. Participants were advised to travel individually or in small groups and were explicitly urged not to protest upon arrival. Organizers also confirmed that they remained engaged with Egypt's Foreign Ministry to coordinate forthcoming steps. However, police stopped several activists as they left Cairo. According to testimonies from two Belgian nationals, officers confiscated their passports and initiated deportation proceedings against them. Other participants with US citizenship reported being stopped at the first checkpoint outside Cairo, where they were detained and ordered to leave the country. After being blocked from continuing their journey, they began chanting 'Free Palestine' at the checkpoint. In an update on their Whatsapp channel, the march's organizers reported that police forces have stopped all cars coming from Cairo at a checkpoint 30 km outside the city, forcing anyone carrying a non-Egyptian passport to get off. The update mentioned that activists started a sit-in at the checkpoint. Activists at the checkpoint reported being violently treated by police to forcibly get into a bus. One activist said their passport was taken and they have been waiting for hours under the sun, while some were dragged violently into a bus. Meanwhile, an Irish activist as well as a number of Swiss activists who were bound to take part in the march reported that their colleagues, who had already reached the designated hotel in Ismailia, were detained by security forces and placed, along other protesters, on a bus guarded by armed officers. The bus remains near the hotel in Ismailia as of the time of publication. The Global March to Gaza had aimed to bring around 4,000 activists from over 80 countries, and their original plan was to take buses from Cairo to the city of Arish in North Sinai, then walk the remaining distance to the border town of Rafah, the closest point to Gaza. Organizers said the march's aim is to call for an end to the war and push the aid piled up on the Egyptian side of the border into Gaza, which has been under siege. On Wednesday, Egypt's Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that while 'foreign delegations' are welcome, visiting North Sinai requires permits. Meanwhile, a government source who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity said that none of the activists will be allowed into Rafah for sovereignty and security reasons. Several activists arriving from different European countries to take part in the march were deported upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, according to the organizers and eyewitness accounts. On another front, security and military forces affiliated with the eastern Libyan authorities halted in the early hours of Friday the advance of the Sumud Convoy, a separate but parallel initiative in which around 1,000 people are travelling by land across North Africa toward Egypt. According to a statement shared via the caravan's WhatsApp channel, security officials claimed the delay was necessary pending formal approval from Benghazi. Efforts to coordinate with Libyan authorities to resume the convoy's advance toward the Egyptian border have been ongoing as of the time of the organizers' most recent statement. According to the organizers, convoy participants are camping at the site where they were stopped — an area lacking basic necessities and with recurring telecom outages. They called on authorities in Benghazi to 'honor their declared welcome of our brave initiative, as stated in yesterday's Foreign Ministry statement, and to receive our convoy.' The organizers also expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support from Libyan communities in surrounding areas, who have provided water, food and tents to sustain the group as they wait for passage. In its statement, the Libyan Foreign Ministry expressed its full support for the convoy and its moral and human position which 'embodies the depth of the Maghreb and Arab world's commitment to the Palestinian cause.' However, the statement also referenced Egyptian authorities, stressing the importance of following existing laws that regulate access to the Rafah border area in Egypt.
Days of Palestine
7 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Pro-Palestinian protesters targeted in Egypt ahead of planned Gaza border march
DaysofPal – Ahead of a planned Global March to Gaza, Egyptian authorities have arrested and deported dozens of international pro-Palestinian activists to put pressure on Israel to lift its blockade of the besieged Palestinian enclave. The march, set for Friday, was expected to see thousands of activists from around the world gather in Egypt and travel to the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. Participants hoped to deliver humanitarian aid and draw global attention to what the United Nations has called 'the hungriest place on Earth.' However, Egyptian authorities have launched a widespread crackdown in recent days. According to airport officials and organizers, dozens of activists were detained at Cairo International Airport and in hotels across the capital. Many were later deported without explanation. An Egyptian official, speaking anonymously to The Associated Press, confirmed that more than three dozen activists, mostly European passport holders, had been deported in recent days. 'They intended to travel to Northern Sinai without obtaining required authorizations,' the official said. The crackdown intensified on Thursday, when Reuters reported that at least 73 foreign nationals were deported on a flight to Istanbul. An additional 100 were reportedly still being held at the airport awaiting deportation. Activists from around the world targeted Saif Abukeshek, spokesperson for the Global March to Gaza, told AFP that over 200 activists were either detained at Cairo airport or interrogated in their hotels. Among them were citizens from the United States, Australia, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Algeria, and Morocco. 'Plainclothes officers came with lists of names, searched their belongings, and in some cases confiscated phones,' Abukeshek said. 'After interrogations, some were arrested and others were released. Some have already been deported.' A group of Greek participants issued a statement saying that dozens of their members had been detained despite holding valid documents and complying with all Egyptian entry procedures. 'We have broken no law and followed every legal procedure in entering the country,' the statement read. Despite the crackdown, organizers say the march will proceed as planned. 'We look forward to providing any additional information the Egyptian authorities require to ensure the march continues peacefully,' the organizers said in a statement. Protesters intend to travel by bus to El Arish in the Sinai Peninsula before marching roughly 50 kilometers to the Rafah border. They aim to meet a convoy of activists traveling overland from Tunisia in support of the campaign. The goal, organizers say, is to 'create international moral and media pressure' to open the Rafah crossing and lift the Israeli-imposed blockade on Gaza. Israel closed all borders with Gaza in March amid its ongoing war on the territory, where more than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local authorities. Though some aid has been allowed into Gaza in recent weeks, humanitarian agencies report that the quantities are far below what is needed and that distribution is often disrupted by Israeli attacks on aid seekers. The Global March follows another recent effort to break the siege, the Madleen, a humanitarian aid ship carrying prominent figures including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, French MEP Rima Hassan, and Al Jazeera journalist Omar Faiad. The vessel was intercepted and seized by Israeli forces earlier this week in international waters. Egypt's stance and Israeli pressure Egypt has long maintained that its side of the Rafah crossing remains technically open but that access is blocked by Israel's control over the Palestinian side. On Wednesday, Egypt's Foreign Ministry reiterated that only those with proper authorization would be allowed to travel to border areas. 'Egypt holds the right to take all necessary measures to preserve its national security, including the regulation of the entry and movement of individuals within its territory, especially in sensitive border areas,' the ministry said. Israeli officials have urged Egypt to prevent the march. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant described the participants as 'jihadist protesters,' claiming their presence at the border would 'endanger the safety of [Israeli] soldiers and will not be allowed.' Despite mounting obstacles, Abukeshek said activists remain determined. 'We are not deterred,' he told AFP. 'We will continue with our peaceful mission to demand the lifting of the blockade and the opening of Rafah for the people of Gaza.' In solidarity with the Palestinian people, this Arab popular movement is gaining momentum for the first time to end the aggression against the Gaza Strip, which has been under the most brutal siege in over 17 years. Israel has reclosed all crossings into Gaza since last March and completely blocked the entry of fuel, leading to the shutdown of most hospitals, bakeries, and water desalination plants. Even UN aid has not been spared, with convoys being targeted and obstructed. Israel launched its aggression against the Gaza Strip after Operation Tufan al-Aqsa on October 7, 2023, intensifying the blockade and using starvation, thirst, and the denial of medicine as weapons against civilians. Shortlink for this post:
