Egypt's flagship carrier EgyptAir said in a statement on Saturday that it is offering discounts on airline tickets for a number of international destinations to encourage air travel. On its flights from Cairo to Paris, the company is offering a 10 percent discount for business class and 35 percent for economy class when purchasing tickets before 15 September for flights up till 10 October. The airline is also offering a 25 percent discount for flights from Cairo to Vienna when purchasing tickets until 15 September for flights up till 20 December. Tickets for flights from Cairo to Cyprus are up to 20 percent off if bought before 15 September for travel up till 15 December. Egypt resumed regular international flights to and from the country on 1 July after a three-month closure due to the pandemic. Foreign tourists are currently allowed entry only into the three coastal Egyptian governorates with the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the country – South Sinai, Red Sea, and Matrouh. More cities are planned to reopen for foreign visitors in later stages. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said 10 days ago that Egypt said it will require all travelers arriving to the country to present a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) lab test result certificate for the coronavirus starting 1 September due to “increasing infections in some countries.” Egypt halted all international flights on 19 March in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus, allowing its airports to operate only for domestic, freight and special repatriation flights. Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Manar said in June that EgyptAir has racked up losses of over $3 billion and airports have achieved zero income on the back of flight suspensions in place since March.
