President Hosni Mubarak on Sunday attended the fourth international Air Show and Aviation Expo (AVEX) at Sharm al-Sheikh airport amid heightened security due to the recent al-Qaeda parcel bomb scare. The plot, originating in Yemen, has spread panic in airports across the globe. The Ministry of Civil Aviation invited most cabinet members, officials from international aviation bodies, and air travel companies to the event. The AVEX conference will last until 11 November. The holding of the African Aviation Unity Summit, which gathers aviation experts and top industry figures from Africa and the Middle East, will be held on Wednesday. The conference will discuss the future of the African aviation industry. Participants will also consider ways to liberate African aviation from foreign domination. Head of the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation, Ibrahim Manaa, said the liberation issue is among the most central priorities on the summit's agenda. Manaa said 70 percent of African flights are operated by foreign companies. Although the continent is inhabited by 14.3 percent of the world's population, he added, Africa's share of world flights is only 4.5 percent. Manaa expressed hope that the event will usher the African aviation industry to the global stage. Egypt's civil aviation, Manaa continued, inaugurated recently a new passenger building at Burg al-Arab Airport in Alexandria. Souhag's International Airport is now operational as well. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
