EgyptAir and Air Cairo will operate three special flights to the US and Indonesia to bring home Egyptians stranded there due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to state news agency MENA on Friday. An Air Cairo plane is flying to Jakarta on Saturday and will return to the Red Sea resort of Marsa Alam on Monday. Flagship carrier EgyptAir will operate two trips; the first to Washington on 1 May with a scheduled return to Marsa Alam two days later. The second plane is set to take off on 3 May from Cairo to the US, returning to Marsa Alam two days later. Both airlines ran two special flights to Asian and European destinations on Friday to repatriate Egyptians stuck in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Athens and Belgrade. Egypt began repatriating its citizens in March as part of efforts to bring back hundreds of its nationals stranded in various countries. The country is keeping its airspace open to inbound charter and special flights to transport outbound passengers, and to cargo and domestic flights, although normal passenger flights were suspended in March. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed on Wednesday that Egypt is committed to repatriating an estimated 3,500 Egyptians stranded abroad at the earliest opportunity.
