Cairo International Airport has got a fifth terminal building and Port Said airport is re-opened after being closed for 20 years. Amirah Ibrahim reports After being shut down for 20 years, Port Said airport resumed operation with ambitious plans to serve as a hub for the Canal Zone. Renovations have brought a face-lift to Port Said airport which, on Monday, received the first regular flight, coming from Cairo and operated by EgyptAir. Onboard, Aviation Minister Lotfi Kamal, accompanied by International Cooperation Minister Fayza Abul Naga and top aviation aids, joined the opening flight. Abdallah signed a MOR with EgyptAir Express, the domestic branch of the airline, to operate two flights weekly on a regular base on Sundays and Tuesdays. Under the contract, the total cost of each flight is to be financed through the local authorities of the governorate. But according to Abdallah, local businessmen and investors have signed commitments to cover the cost of the flights in case the flights are not sold out, since they are the main users to benefit from operating the new route. According to Express chairman Helmi Rizq, the carrier operates the new route with a very small margin of profits. "We are looking far beyond the immediate profits. This route can be developed into a regular service independent of investor financing," Rizq explained. "We have previous cases with Marsa Alam and Taba routes where businessmen helped at the start but soon these airports developed and became part of our domestic network," he added. The airport was shut down 20 years ago for lack of traffic, but it came into the spotlight as the government launched plans to establish an investment zone east to the Suez Canal. Aviation authorities moved to upgrade the airport at a cost of LE12 millions; upgrading the tarmac, the runways, arrival and departure halls. A new terminal building is to be constructed only if the airport traffic warrants.
