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_(26267950766).jpg) An EgyptAirBoeing 777-300ER | |||||||
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| Founded | 7 June 1932; 93 years ago (1932-06-07) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | July 1933; 92 years ago (1933-07) | ||||||
| Hubs | Cairo | ||||||
| Focus cities | |||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Egyptair Plus[1] | ||||||
| Alliance | Star Alliance | ||||||
| Subsidiaries | [2][3][4] | ||||||
| Fleet size | 67 | ||||||
| Destinations | 102[5] | ||||||
| Parent company | Egyptair Holding Company(Government of Egypt) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Egyptair Administrative Complex Cairo, Egypt | ||||||
| Key people | |||||||
| Employees | 9,000 (December 2014)[8] | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
EgyptAir is thestate-ownedflag carrier[9] ofEgypt. The airline is headquartered atCairo International Airport, its main hub, operating scheduled passenger and freight services to 81 destinations in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, as of 2022.[10] Egyptair is a member ofStar Alliance.[11]
Alan Muntz, chairman ofAirwork, visited Egypt in 1931; at that time, he expressed his intention of starting up a new airline in the country. The new enterprise was namedMisr Airwork, withMiṣr (مصر) being Arabic for "Egypt". On 31 December 1931, the government granted the new company the exclusivity of air transport operations.[12] A division of Misr Airwork namedMisr Airlines was established on 7 June 1932,[12] ″to promote the spirit of aviation among Egyptian youth″, becoming the seventh carrier in the world at that time.[13] The headquarters of Misr Airwork, S.A.E. was inAlmaza Aerodrome,Heliopolis, Cairo.[14]
The initial investment was£E20,000, with ownership split between theMisr Bank (85%), Airwork (10%), and Egyptian private investors (5%). Operations started in July 1933, initially linkingCairo withAlexandria andMersa Matruh usingde Havilland DH.84 Dragon equipment. By August that year, the frequency on the Cairo–Alexandria service had been boosted to twice-daily.[12] In late 1933,[15] a twice-weekly Cairo–Aswan flight that called atAsyut andLuxor was inaugurated.[12] ViaPort Said, a flight from Cairo that servedLydda,Haifa andGaza was launched in 1934. On 3 August 1935, a test service via Lydda with a final destination inNicosia began usingde Havilland D.H.86 aircraft; the service was terminated on 20 October that year.[12] The Alexandria–Port Said–Cairo–Minia–Assiut route was opened in late 1935.[16] During 1935, the airline carried 6,990 passengers and 21,830 kilograms (48,130 lb) of freight; for the year, these regular services flew 419,467 miles (675,067 km).[17]
The Alexandria–Assiut route, which called at Port Said, Cairo and Minia, and the Cairo–Cyprus–Haifa–Baghdad run were the two operative services the carrier had by 1936.Hadj flights commenced in 1937. Operations to Cyprus resumed in 1938 with a Cairo–Lydda–Haifa–Larnaka service.[12] The carrier operated all-British aircraft in the early years,[18]: 588 and by April 1939 the fleet comprised oneD.H. Dragon, oneD.H. Dragonfly, fiveD.H. Rapìdes, two D.H.86s and oneD.H.86B that worked on the Alexandria–Cairo, Alexandria–Port Said–Cairo–Minia–Assiut, Cairo–Assiut–Luxor–Assuan, Cairo–Lydda–Haifa–Baghdad and Cairo–Port Said–Lydda–Haifa routes.[19] The Egyptian government took over all the routes in September 1939. In 1940, a service toBeirut and Palestine was started. ThreeAvro 19s were incorporated into the fleet in 1944. Three accidents that took place in late 1945 prompted strikes for a fleet renewal and caused operations to come to a total halt since February 1946;[12] services resumed in May, and by late 1946 the fleet included fourAvro Ansons, oneBeech AT-11, fiveBeech C-45s, fourde Havilland D.H.89 Dragon Rapides and twoNorth American AT-6 Texan.[20] The carrier benefited from the Allies' regional aircraft disposal station that sold surplus military aircraft being located in Egypt. Two more Beech C-45s were delivered in 1947, and theVickers Viking was incorporated in 1948. In May 1949,[21] all the capital and the aircraft park was acquired by the government.[22] After the Egyptian state became the sole shareholder, the company changed its name toMisrair SAE.[21]
Misrair continued to fly the same routes as its predecessor.[22] In 1951, threeLanguedocs were acquired;[23] these were intended for deployment on longer routes.[22] The Languedocs replaced theVikings on flights toGeneva,Khartoum, andTehran.[22]
On 1 December 1952 Misrair took over the domestic competitorServices Aériens Internationaux d'Égypte (SAIDE) and thus ended the flight operations of this airline. Only the successful route Cairo-Tunis was carried over to Misrair's own route network.[24]
ThreeVickers Viscounts were ordered in early 1954.[25] During that year, the carrier transported 64,539 passengers. At March 1955, Misrair's fleet comprised one Beechcraft, three Languedocs and seven Vikings; the three Viscounts were still pending delivery.[26]Douglas DC-3s were subsequently purchased and deployed on domestic routes, as well as to neighbouring Arab countries. Delivery of the first two Viscounts occurred in December 1955; they were put into service in March 1956.[22] Eight months later on 1 November 1956, one Viscount (SU-AIC) was written off while parked atAlmaza Airport due to an air-raid by the RAF during theSuez crisis[27][28][a] The number of passengers transported during 1955 had grown to 77050.[29] In February 1957, Misrair was renamedUnited Arab Airlines.[22] Late that year, two more Viscounts were ordered at a cost of £600,000–800,000, includingspares.
Following the formation of theUnited Arab Republic by Egypt and Syria on 1 February 1958, Misrair was renamedUnited Arab Airlines (UAA) in March that year.[24][b] ACairo–Athens–Rome–Zürich service was launched on 7 July;Syrian Airways merged into UAA on 23 December, with the latter absorbing both the routes and the equipment of the Syrian carrier.[24] By March 1960, the airline had 579 employees. At that time, the fleet comprised oneBeech Model 18, fourDC-3s, sixVikings and sixViscounts.[31]: 505 One of the Viscounts crashed into theMediterranean on 10 April, killing 17 passengers and a crew of three.[24] Withregistration SU-ALC,[32] the first of threeComet 4Cs[33] was delivered on 9 June.[18]: 588 Operations using two of these aircraft started on 16 July the same year.[18]: 588 By October 1960, Misrair had Comets deployed on the Cairo–Belgrade–Prague, Cairo–Rome–London, Cairo–Jeddah and Cairo–Khartoum runs,[18]: 588 DC-3s on the Cairo–Alexandria–Mersa Matruh, Cairo–Assiut–Luxor, Cairo–Luxor–Aswan and Cairo–Port Said–Alexandria services, andViscounts were used for the non-stop flights that linked Cairo and Alexandria.[18]: 589 An order for two more Comets was placed in November 1960.[33] Syria's association with UAA ended in October 1961, whenSyrian Arab Airways was established by theSyrian government inDamascus; the route network and fleet that had been taken over by UAA were returned to the new company.[34]
Two more Comets, the fourth and fifth ones,[24] were ordered in early 1961.[35] Three ex-SASDC-6s were purchased in April 1961. The Cairo–Lagos run was extended toAccra on 12 June and flights to Moscow commenced on 21 June.[24] A contract withBoeing for the purchase ofBoeing 707-320B with delivery dates between November 1961 and April 1964 was signed; the deal fell through when the airline could not find financing.[36] On 1 November, a new flight toKarachi andBombay was launched, and the sixth and seventh Comets were ordered in December; these were delivered in April 1962.[37] Also in 1961, the Cairo–Nicosia run, suspended since theSuez crisis in 1956, was restored, flown with Viscount equipment.[38] Routed viaBangkok and Hong Kong, the Bombay service was extended to Tokyo in May 1962.[39] The three-strong crew of a DC-3 that crashed atHeliopolis[clarification needed] on 16 May 1962 died,[citation needed] and 26 more people perished in an accident involving a Comet at Bangkok on 19 July the same year. Two more Comets were acquired in August, entering the fleet in September the same year and during 1963. On 15 February 1963, the route toBaghdad was resumed after a three-year hiatus, but the service was short-lived, as political tensions between Egypt, Iraq and Syria forced the disruption of flights to both this destination and toDamascus; on 1 April, a new service toRhodesia was inaugurated. On 12 May 1963 a DC-3 crashed nearAlexandria, killing 27 passengers and a crew of four and on 28 July 1963, a Comet crashed into the ocean near Bombay, killing 62. Short of aircraft to serve Tokyo, the route was terminated. Also, another Comet, SU-ALM, resulted damaged inBenghazi on 12 September, the ninth and final Comet was delivered in 1964. Also that year, three ex-Pan AmDC-6Bs were purchased, and another three were acquired fromNorthwest Orient; these aircraft were put on service on domestic routes and began replacing the Viscounts. Also aimed at operating domestic services, sevenAntonov An-24s were ordered forUS$2.3 million.[37]
By March 1965, seven Comet 4Cs and four Viscounts flew on routes across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, along with a service to Lagos and Accra.[21] On 1 August, a subsidiary airline namedMisrair started operations.[37][c] A contract worthUS$30 million for threeBoeing 707-320Cs was signed with Boeing on 15 June 1966 and also included four additional machines on option. On 1 November, the airline suppressed the stop at Prague on the Cairo–Prague–Moscow service, and in January 1967 UAA started the Cairo–Frankfurt–Copenhagen run. On 22 June 1967, a Comet crashed in Kuwait while landing; there were no fatalities but the aircraft waswritten off. In August 1968, the airline took delivery of twoIlyushin Il-18s.[37] The firstBoeing 707 was handed over by the aircraft manufacturer on 21 October the same year;[41] it was later put into service on the Cairo–London corridor.[37] One of the Il-18s was involved in adeadly crash while attempting to land at Aswan Airport on 20 March 1969. That March, the carrier started services toEast Berlin with Il-18 equipment and in June the route to Tokyo viaKuwait, Bombay, Bangkok and Hong Kong was resumed.[37]
On 14 January 1970, a Comet 4C (SU-ANI) crashed on landing atAddis Ababa from Cairo; no one of the 14 people on board resulted seriously injured. On 30 January 1970 thelanding gear of anAntonov An-24V, SU-AOK, collapsed on touchdown at Luxor. On 19 February SU-ALE, another Comet, abortedtakeoff fromMunich Riem Airport at 30 feet (9.1 m), fell back to the runway, slid until the end of it and hit a fence. Another An-24V, SU-AOC,belly-landed at Cairo on 14 March.[42] At March 1970, UAA had 7,810 employees; the fleet comprised sevenAn-24Bs, threeBoeing 707-366Cs, six Comet 4Cs and three Il-18s.[43] The fourth Boeing 707 was delivered in March 1970. An An-24V (SU-ANZ) was on a training flight and crashed near Cairo, killing the three occupants on 19 July.[42] On 2 January 1971, a Comet (SU-ALC) hit sand dunes on approach toTripoli,[42] with the loss of lives of the eight passengers on board and the crew of eight.[13] On 23 May 1971, the acquisition of twoIlyushin Il-62s was announced, scheduled for delivery in June the same year.[42] June 1971 saw the airline using these aircraft on European routes,[42] supplementing the services operated with the Boeing 707s.[44] The Il-62s were introduced on Asian services on 9 July.[42] The name of the airline was changed toEgyptair on 10 October 1971, following the country changing its name to Arab Republic of Egypt.[45]
Egyptair inherited UAA's staff, equipment, assets and liabilities. On 19 March 1972,EgyptAir Flight 763, aDouglas DC-9-32 carryingYugoslavregistration YU-AHR crashed into the Shamsan Mountains, 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest ofAden, killing all 30 occupants. On 16 June, anIlyushin Il-62 (SU-ARN) was involved in a landing accident with no reported fatalities. In July, eightTupolev Tu-154s were ordered forUS$60 million, with three of them slated for delivery in July 1973, three in November 1973 and two in March 1974.[46] Before firming the transaction up Egyptair had also considered theBoeing 727, but financing for these US-manufactured aircraft could not be arranged.[47] Under the terms of the contract, lightmaintenance was to be performed in Egypt, whereas airframe and engine overhauling was to be undertaken in theSoviet Union.[48] In July 1972, the acquisition of fourBoeing 707-320Cs valued atUS$40 million was announced. At this time, the airline had fourBoeing 707s already in operation. The handover of the new aircraft had been arranged for March, May, June and September 1973.[46] On 5 December 1972, one of the four 707s already in the fleet (SU-AOW) crashed near Cairo while on a training flight. The crew of six perished in the accident. Reports indicating the airframe had been shot down were denied by the Egyptian government.[49] AnIlyushin Il-18, registration SU-AOY, was involved in adeadly accident nearNicosia on 29 January 1973 when it crashed into mountainous terrain, killing all 37 occupants.[50] Delivery of the four new Boeing 707s took place during the year, with two more 707-320Cs being ordered in September. In October the three Il-62s were returned toAeroflot because of elevated operational costs and technical issues.[46] Also that month,[46] the first Tu-154 entered the fleet and was used for pilot training.[48] From Moscow, the handover of the Tu-154s was made throughLondon-Heathrow, where these aircraft were fitted with British-made seats.[48]
The outbreak of theYom Kippur War in 1973 had forced the carrier to suspend the Tokyo service; it was resumed on 15 March 1974 viaBombay,Bangkok andManila. During 1974, the flight toKhartoum was extended toKinshasa.[46] One of the brand new Tu-154 aircraft, SU-AXB,crashed [ru] on 10 July 1974 after takeoff fromCairo International Airport during a training flight, killing a crew of six on board.[51] Following the crash Egyptair requested the return of its Tu-154 fleet to the Soviets and a refund for the price paid for them.[52] The capacity shortage caused by the grounding of the Tu-154s was partly alleviated by thelease of aircraft.[53] The airline had already been looking for other aircraft to replace them and an order for sixDouglas DC-9-50s was placed in November. On 9 December, anIl-18, registration YR-IMK, crashed into theRed Sea; there were nine fatalities. In January 1975, the government turned the order withDouglas down and moved toBoeing for the provision of new equipment. An agreement with the Soviets for the return of the Tu-154s was struck on 10 February; early in the year, the An-24s were traded back to the company that represented the Soviets as partial repayment for the loan taken to acquire the aft-engined Tu-154s. The Boeing order was finalised by March and consisted of fourBoeing 727-200s and sixBoeing 737-200s. There were plans to trade the first three Boeing 707-320Cs in for the new aircraft as part of the deal with Boeing.[46] Valued atUS$60 million, the transaction was partly financed by the United Arab Emirates.[54] In May, the order was homogenised to eight Boeing 737-200s with deliveries slated for April and May 1976. Arrangements were made to sell the four Comets both to raise money to finance the new aircraft and to have an all-Boeing fleet.[55]
A link between Cairo andMilan began in January 1976 and a new flight toVienna started in April.[55] Following allegations from the Egyptian parliament that airline officials had been bribed by Boeing to favour the 1975 order, the chairman Gamal Erfan resigned in February.[55][56][57][58] On 22 April, a Boeing 737 flying from Cairo to Luxor was hijacked by three Palestinians; an Egyptian commando team regained control of the aircraft with no damages to its structure. The four Comets were sold toDan-Air on 9 October. During the year, seven Boeing 737 Advanced entered the fleet.[55] A serious accident involving a Boeing 707 took place on 25 Dec when a non-regular flight from Cairo to Tokyocrashed into a textile mill while on approach to Bangkok, killing all 43 passengers and a crew of nine; fatalities and injured people on the ground were also reported.[59] Early in 1977, the first arrests related to the bribery case involving the Boeing order took place when a former pilot admitted he had been bribed forUS$150,000. In February, an agreement to lease twoAirbus A300B4 aircraft fromGermanair andTrans European Airlines was signed.[55][60] On 1 April, services toAbu Dhabi andKarachi were launched. The first A300 service flew the Cairo–Karachi route on 3 June.[55] The lease conditions for the aircraft owned byBavaria Germanair changed to a lease/purchase agreement.[61] Egyptair eventually acquired the two leased A300B4 aircraft. On 21 February 1978, a Boeing 707 made an emergency landing atSharjah Airport after hitting a flock of birds; the incident caused substantial damage to the fuselage and the engines.[55] During 1979, threeA300B4-200s were ordered forUS$115 million with a delivery span between September 1980 and September 1981; the carrier took options on four more aircraft of the type.[62][63] Financing for the three firmly ordered aircraft was partly provided by theMidland Bank and theDresdner Bank.[62]
At March 1980 the number of employees was 9,610 and the fleet consisted of two Airbus A300B4s, seven Boeing 707-320Cs, seven Boeing 737-200s and twoBeech Barons.[64] There was a major financial reorganisation in November 1980 when ownership of the company was shared by theNational Bank of Egypt and the Misr Insurance Company.[55] In 1981, options for two Airbus A300B4-200s were converted into a firm order. This took the count of A300 aircraft pending delivery to four. At November this year the airline had five aircraft of the type in the fleet, two of them leased.[65] Another A300B4-200 was ordered in 1982.[66] Overall, eight new Airbus A300B4s were introduced during the early 1980s. Three Boeing 767-200ERs (named "Nefertiti", "Nefertari" and "Tiye") were phased in during 1984.[55] Two Boeing 767-300ERs (named "Tuthmosis III" and "Ramses II") were phased in during 1989.[55] On 31 October 1999, "Tuthmosis III"crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 217 people on board.[67]
Egyptair is a state-owned company with special legislation permitting the management to operate as if the company were privately owned without any interference from the government. The company is self-financing without any financial backing by the Egyptian government.[68]
The airline underwent a major corporate re-engineering in 2002 when its structure was changed from a governmental organization into a holding company with subsidiaries.[69] The move coincided with the establishment of the Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation and the government's ambitious strategy to modernize and upgrade its airports and airline. The airline was given the right to operate without any interference from the government and the duty to do so without any financial backing.[citation needed]
Egyptair wholly ownsEgyptair Express andAir Sinai. The airline has stakes inAir Cairo (60%) andSmart Aviation Company (20%).[70]
In May 2006,[71] the airline launched a regional subsidiary calledEgyptair Express with a fleet of newEmbraer E170 jets with services commencing in 2007.[72] The carrier links Cairo withSharm El Sheikh,Hurghada,Luxor,Aswan,Marsa Alam,Abu Simbel andAlexandria (Egypt) in addition to secondary destinations to complement the parent company's network. In June 2009, the subsidiary received the last of the 12 E170 aircraft on order.[citation needed]
This is fortified by huge assets of more than US$3.8 billion. The airline's financial year is from July to June.[73]For the fiscal year ending 31 July 2007, Egyptair achieved a record total revenue of US$1.143 billion. Total group revenue grew by 14%, as compared with the previous year.[citation needed]
In early 2007, the airline partnered with the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation and Egyptian Holding Company for Airports & Air Navigation to form a new corporate airline,Smart Aviation Company, based at Cairo Airport.[citation needed]
In 2009, Egyptair's operations at itsCairo International Airport hub (where it holds 61% of the airport's departure slots) were notably overhauled due to the inauguration of the new Terminal 3 in April 2009. The airline transferred all its operations (international and domestic) to the new terminal that has more than doubled the airport's capacity. Under the Star Alliance "Move Under One Roof" concept at Cairo Airport, all Star Alliance airlines serving Cairo have moved to Terminal 3. In 2010 the airline will overhaul operations at itsAlexandria base by transferring operations from the older facilities atEl Nouzha Airport to the new airport inBorg El Arab Airport.
During the 2009–2010Paris Airshow, the airline announced a new venture with US lessor Aviation Capital Group (ACG) and other Egyptian private and public shareholders to establish a leasing joint venture focusing on the Middle East and Northern Africa region.[citation needed] The new joint venture – named Civil Aviation Finance and Operating Leases (CIAF-Leasing) will initially focus on narrowbody aircraft.[citation needed]
Following therevolution of 2011, Egyptair is reported[74] to have suffered considerable losses. Egypt's civil aviation minister Wael El Maadawi said the airline lost an estimated 1.3 billion Egyptian pounds, or around $185 million, over the 2012/13 fiscal year, mainly due to an increase in fuel prices, the devaluation of the Egyptian currency and continuous strikes within the company. Losses for 2011/12 were apparently around double the 2012/13 figures. The carrier has reportedly suffered total losses of more than 7bn pounds, or nearly $1bn, since the 2011 uprising.
In the middle of 2012, a group of flight attendants asked for the right to wearhijabs as part of their work uniform. The company granted their request and hijab-wearing flight attendants first appeared in November 2012.[75]
In November 2015, two weeks after the crash that brought downMetrojet Flight 9268 in theSinai peninsula,Russian authorities banned Egyptair from flying to Russia, citing security concerns.[76]
In January 2016, Egyptair was finedUS$140,000 for leasing aircraft toSudan Airways during 2010–11, breaking economic sanctions imposed on Sudan in 1997.[77]
In April 2018, Russian authorities lifted the ban that prevented Egyptair from flying to Russia.[78]
Egyptair is one of the few airlines which does not servealcoholic beverages on its flights.[79]
As part of a restructuring of Egyptair, Aviation Minister Air MarshallYounes Hamed announced the merger ofEgyptair Express,Egyptair Cargo, and Egyptair Ground Services Company with the mainline airline. As of 4 November 2019, onlyEgyptair Express was officially merged with the rest of plan to be completed by the end of 2019.[3]
Egyptair is a state-owned company, 100% owned by theGovernment of Egypt.[80] The Egyptair Holding Company[81] was created in 2002 with seven companies, with two further companies added at later dates.
There are three carriers, which operate under the same AOC but are managed separately and have their ownprofit and loss accounts:
Other companies within Egyptair Holding Company are:
The airline has stakes in:
Data for the Egyptair Holding Company and for its main subsidiary Egyptair Airlines, are shown below (for years ending 30 June):
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egyptair Holding Company | |||||||||||
| Turnover (LE million) | 8,959 | 12,161 | 12,998 | 13,509 | 12,890 | 14,545 | 16,593 | 16,782 | 17,734 | 17,298 | 25,084 |
| Net profit (LE million) | 579 | 695 | 573 | 533 | −2,059 | −3,106 | −1,748 | −2,817 | 37 | 13 | 72 |
| Number of passengers (m) | 7.8 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 8.0 | 8.2 | |||||
| Passenger load factor (%) | 72 | 68 | 66 | 69 | |||||||
| Cargo carried (tons m) | 127 | 121 | 122 | ||||||||
| Number of aircraft (at year end) | 45 | 50 | 59 | 66 | 76 | 79 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 77 | |
| Egyptair Airlines | |||||||||||
| Turnover (LE million) | 6,947 | 9,265 | 9,917 | 10,189 | 9,678 | 10,975 | 12,877 | 13,139 | 14,140 | 13,597 | 20,010 |
| Net profits (LE million) | 161 | 232 | 208 | 130 | −2,205 | −3,069 | −1,885 | −2,923 | −0,977 | −1,279 | −5,553 |
| Number of passengers (m) | 5.7 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 7.3 | 6.8 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.0 |
| Passenger load factor (%) | 63 | 67 | 68 | 72 | 68 | 65 | 67 | 63 | 66 | 69 | |
| Number of aircraft (at year end) | 38 | 40 | 48 | 50 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 60 | 50 | |
| Notes/sources | [85][86] [87] | [87] | [87][88] [89] | [87][89] [90] | [89][90] | [91][92] | [93][94] | [95] | [96] | [97] | [98] |
Trends forEgyptair Express andEgyptAir Cargo are shown on the relevant articles. Figures for the year ending 30 June 2011, and the lack of detailed accounts since then, reflect the disruption that occurred because of theEgyptian Revolution in early 2011.
EgyptAir is headquartered in the EgyptAir Administrative Complex on the grounds ofCairo International Airport inCairo.[99][100]
The airline's logo isHorus, thesky deity in ancientEgyptian mythology, chosen because of its ancient symbolism as a "winged god of the sun", and usually depicted as either afalcon or a man with the head of a falcon.
TheHorus made its first appearance in the early 1970s. It was originally painted with a red head and blue feathers in front of a golden backdrop.[101] It was painted around the plane including the engine cases. This was due to EgyptAir wanting to keep a warm colouredlivery in the early days of the airline.[101]
As of August 2022, Egyptair serves 81 destinations across 56 countries.[10]
In October 2007, the Chief Executive Board ofStar Alliance voted to accept Egyptair as a future member, the first airline from anArab country and the second African one – afterSouth African Airways – to join theairline alliance.[102][103] In a ceremony held atCairo International Airport on 11 July 2008, the carrier became the 21st member of this alliance, nine months after it started the joining process.[104][105]
In October 2020, Egyptair reached an agreement with the government of Ghana to create a Ghanaian national aviation company with investment from both governments.[106]
Egyptair hascodeshare agreements with the following airlines:[107][108]
Due to the2017 Qatar Diplomatic crisis, Egyptair (among other carriers from Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) suspended its flights to Doha'sHamad International Airport in Qatar as per the instructions from the Egyptian Government.[116][117]
In 2021, after Egypt signed the Al-'Ula declaration with Qatar (along with the rest ofGCC members) Egyptair resumed flights to Doha ending its three-and-half-year boycott of Qatar.[118][119]
As of July 2025[update], Egyptair operates the following aircraft:[120]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers[121] | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | |||||
| Airbus A320neo | 8 | — | 16 | 126 | 142 | ||
| Airbus A321neo | 7 | — | 16 | 166 | 182 | ||
| Airbus A330-200 | 5 | — | 24 | 244 | 268 | 2 to be converted to freighter.[122] | |
| Airbus A330-300 | 4 | — | 36 | 265 | 301 | ||
| Airbus A350-900 | — | 16[123] | TBA | Deliveries from 2025.[124][125] | |||
| Boeing 737-800 | 30 | — | 24 | 120 | 144 | ||
| 16 | 138 | 154 | |||||
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | — | 18[126] | TBA | Deliveries from 2025.[127] | |||
| Boeing 777-300ER | 5 | — | 49 | 297 | 346 | ||
| Boeing 787-9 | 8 | — | 30 | 279 | 309 | ||
| Total | 67 | 34 | |||||
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In June 1995, Egyptair ordered threeAirbus A340s,[128] scheduled for delivery in December 1996.[129] The first, 260-seater aircraft entered the fleet in late 1996, and operated along a-300 version that was onlease fromGulf Air.[130] Also in 1995, the carrier purchased three 308-seaterBoeing 777-200s forUS$400 million.[131] TheseGE-90 powered aircraft, along with the A340-200s, were ordered for replacement of theAirbus A300B4 andBoeing 767-200 fleet.[130]
Aimed to replace theAirbus A300-600R fleet, the airline placed an order for sevenAirbus A330-200 aircraft in early 2003,[132] slated for delivery in June 2004,[133] and cancelled twoAirbus A340-600s it had previously ordered.[134] In June 2003, Egyptair signed a deal worthUS$150 million withRolls-Royce for the provision ofTrent 700 engines to power these seven A330s.[133][135] The firstAirbus A330-300 was incorporated into the fleet in August 2010.[136]
Egyptair's commercial relationship withBoeing started in 1968 when aBoeing 707 was delivered.[137] SixBoeing 737-800s were acquired in August 2005, with handovers starting in September the following year and a delivery span of three years.[138] On lease fromGECAS, Egyptair took delivery of its first 346-seaterBoeing 777-300ER in March 2010.[139]
In June 2011, the airframer delivered the airline's 50th Boeing aircraft, a737-800.[137] In July 2016, Egyptair was identified as the carrier that ordered nine more aircraft of the type, in a deal worthUS$864 million.[140] In October 2016 the airline placed a firm order for eightBoeing 737-800s with deliveries starting in February 2017.[141]
In October and November 2017, it was announced that the airline intended to place an order for 6Boeing 787-9s and 15Airbus A320neos.[142][143]
During the2019 Dubai Airshow, the initial order of 15Airbus A320neos was changed to sevenA321neos and eightA320neos instead. Also, at the same time, two additionalBoeing 787-9 were ordered after the sixth and lastBoeing 787-9 had been delivered in August of the same year.[144][145]
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| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A220-300 | 2019 | 2024[146] | |
| Airbus A300B4 | 1977 | 1998 | |
| Airbus A300-600[147] | 1988 | 2009 | |
| Airbus A321-200[98]: 31 | 1997 | 2018 | |
| Airbus A340-200[148] | 1996 | 2015 | |
| Airbus A340-300 | 1995 | 1997 | |
| ATR 42-500 | 2003 | 2003 | |
| Boeing 737-500[148] | 1997 | 2015 | |
| Boeing 747-100 | 1983 | 1984 | |
| Boeing 747-200 | 1984 | 1989 | |
| Boeing 747-300[147] | 1988 | 2005 | |
| Boeing 767-200ER | 1984 | 1997 | |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 1989 | 2001 | |
| Boeing 777-200ER | 1997 | 2018[149] | |
| Douglas DC-8-20 | 1978 | 1979 | |
| Douglas DC-8-30 | 1978 | 1979 | |
| Douglas DC-8-62 | 1985 | 1989 | |
| Ilyushin Il-62 | 1971[42] | Unknown | |
| Lockheed L-1011 TriStar | 1989 | 1990 | |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 | 1971 | 1973 | |
| Tupolev Tu-154 | 1973[48] | 1974[46] |
A bi-weekly air service connecting up Cairo, Luxor and Assuan has been started by the Misr Airwork Co., of Cairo.
A new service has been opened by Misr Airwork between Alexandria, Port Said, Cairo, Minia and Assuit [sic] for the benefit of the cotton fraternity and to enable passengers to redirect from Alexandria to Palestine. This is made possible by the connection at Port Said with the Cairo-Haifa service. The Upper Egypt service will not be immediately reopened since the international situation has played havoc with the tourist industry.
The Egyptian airline, Misrair, is reported to have purchased three Languedoc 161s. Two more machines of this type will be acquired next year.
United Arab Airlines have placed a repeat order for two Comet 4Cs, for delivery this summer, as forecast inFlight for 25 November.
A United Arab Airlines Viscount has reopened the Nicosia – Cairo service, suspended since the Suez crisis of 1956.
The first of three Boeing 707-320Cs for United Arab Airlines (SU-AOU) made its delivery flight fromSeattle to Cairo, viaHeathrow Airport, London, on October 21. It enters service between Cairo and London tomorrow, November 1.
United Arab Airlines is now supplementing its Boeing 707 services to Europe with its new Ilyushin IL-62s, one of which is seen in the departure area at Heathrow Airport, London
Egyptair is the new name of United Arab Airlines, adopted on October 10. The change follows the adoption by Egypt of the official name Arab Republic of Egypt, in place ofUnited Arab Republic. The airline's flight prefix code, MS (unchanged), dates from an earlier period when it was known as Misrair.
Egyptair Boeing 707 SU-AOW crashed south-east of Cairo on December 5 during a training flight. The six crew members were killed. Reports that the aircraft had been shot down in error have been denied by Egyptian authorities.
An Il-18 of Egyptair, SU-AOY, crashed into mountains on the north coast of Cyprus on January 29 while positioning for a visual approach to Nicosia. All 30 passengers and seven crew were killed and the aircraft was destroyed by fire.
A Tu-154 of Egyptair, SU-AXO, crashed during a training flight on July 10 after take-off from Cairo International. The six crew members were killed.
A crash in Egypt earlier this year resulted in a request from Egyptair that its Tu-154s be returned to the Soviet Union and its money refunded.
Sterling Airways has leased one of its three Boeing 727-200s to Egyptair, which is currently short of capacity following its decision to ground its seven Tu-154s. These are due to be returned to the Soviet Union and Egyptair is seeking replacement capacity on the second-hand market. It hopes to buy up to nineBoeing 720Bs.
An Egyptair 707 crashed onto a textile mill on December 25 while making an approach to Bangkok airport after a non-scheduled flight from Cairo. All 43 passengers and nine crew were killed and it is reported that among people in the mill there were 20 fatalities and 30 injuries.
Egyptair is now flying two A300B4s. The aircraft shown here is leased from Bavaria Germanair and the other from TEA.
Egyptair has changed the lease on one of its two Airbus Industrie A300B4s to a lease/purchase agreement. The aircraft is currently owned by Bavaria Germanair.
European bank consortium, which includes Britain's Midland Bank and Germany's Dresdner Bank, is financing the $115 million Egyptair purchase of three A300B4s, with the Egyptian Government guaranteeing the loan. The first two aircraft will be delivered this September and the third in September 1981. The carrier has four more on option.
Egyptair has signed a contract for the purchase of three Airbus A300B4s and taken options on another four. The Egyptian flag carrier has chosen the 165-tonne B4-200, powered by General Electric CF6-50s, for use on domestic, regional and European routes. The three aircraft firmly ordered will be delivered between September 1980 and September 1981; the four options are for delivery in 1982 and 1983.
Egyptair has ordered three A340-200s with options on two more. Delivery is scheduled for the end of 1996.
Egyptair has ordered seven Airbus A330-200s to be delivered from June 2004 for operation on routes within the Middle East and to Europe, replacing A300-600Rs.
The flag carrier took delivery of the first of five Rolls-Royce Trent-powered A330-300s last August, having brought forward their introduction.
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