Egypt, S.Arabia step up trade ties through coordination council talks    Egypt reviews progress on $200m World Bank-funded waste management hub    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    SCZONE showcases investment opportunities to eight Japanese companies    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    SCZONE, Tokyo Metropolitan Government sign MoU on green hydrogen cooperation    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



31 million passengers used EHCAAN airports in 2013: Chairman
Published in Daily News Egypt on 17 - 03 - 2014

The Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation (EHCAAN) saw a decline of 4.8% in aircraft movement in 2014, almost the same rate as the previous year, said the company's chairman Ashraf Zaki.
Up to 31 million passengers used the company's airports in 2013, marking a 6% decrease compared to 33 million passengers in 2012, Zaki told Al-Borsa in an interview.
He attributed the fall of passengers to the travel bans on Egypt that had been imposed by several tourist exporting countries in mid-August 2013.
Some 29 airports are affiliated with the company, 10 of which are international and 19 domestic.
Top affiliate international airports are the Cairo International Airport, Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghda, Luxor, Aswan and Borg Al-Arab.
According to Zaki, EHCAAN is doing "its best" such that the Cairo International Airport is able to restore its former status as the best airport in Africa after retreating to third place in 2013, following South Africa's Johanessburg and Cape Town, respectively.
The ranking is based on the number of passengers an airport receives in addition to its efficiency and service quality, he said.
Zaki has ruled out that maintenance operations carried out for the airway L05 at the Cairo Airport caused the retreat, noting that work is due for completion in six months' time.
The airport authorities closed the L05 airway, near the Sindbad Fun Fair, and have subjected it to a maintenance and development scheme to upgrade its efficiency. Costs are estimated at EGP 235m. Aircraft movement has been transferred to the other two airways of the airport.
Meanwhile, Zaki said that the Holding Company is concluding negotiations with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) over a loan of EGP 1.2m ($1.72m) to finance the new terminal at the Borg Al-Arab Airport. The company aims to raise the capacity of the airport to four million passengers a year.
According to Zaki, The loan agreement with JICA had been delayed due to the resignation of Hazem El-Beblawi's government last month, followed by the formation of Ibrahim Mehleb's cabinet. He added that the company has finalised contracts with financing agencies through the Ministry of International Cooperation.
The proposed Borg Al-Arab terminal will be operated using clean energy (solar power), and waste will be recycled.
Zaki told Al-Borsa that the Al-Nozha Airport in Alexandria will also be developed, which was closed in 2012, with a total cost of EGP 140m; this will include the renewal of the arrival and departure halls and the passenger terminal in addition to constructing a new airway.
As for the proposed Airport City, which will be adjacent to the Cairo International Airport, Zaki said it would help upgrade the airport's efficiency and transform it into a large trade complex to serve inbound travels.
He said that a delegation from the world leading airport-building ICOM would visit Egypt this March, as the company has completed the technical and engineering studies for the Airport City over a 10 million square metre area.
The Airport City project will be offered in a bid for Egyptian and foreign investors by June, Zaki said.
Egypt became the 19th member of a list of the countries with airport cities in a conference held in South Africa last year. The list includes 18 other world countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, the USA, Britain, Germany and South Africa.
The would-be Egyptian Airport City is expected to bring in EGP 1bn of revenues annually from commercial and recreational activities, Zaki estimated.
Moreover, the EHCAAN intends to enhance the capacity of the Sharm El-Sheikh Airport from 8 million passengers at present to 18 million. The company is negotiating with the World Bank over a $550m loan for financing the project.
Increasing the capacity of the Sharm Airport will boost the competitiveness of Egypt's tourism sector, Zaki said, adding that the majority of the 62,000 rooms in South Sinai is found in Sharm El-Sheikh.
It was previously reported that the European Bank for Development and Reconstruction (EBRD) had offered $154m to develop the airfield.
Similar offers were made by the European Investment Bank, Islamic Bank for Development and the World Bank to finance the Sharm airport development project, Zaki stated. However, EHCAAN prefers the World Bank, he said, for its long experience in developing Egyptian airports.
EHCAAN had previously sought an agreement with the African Development Bank to finance the project, but the stance adopted by the African Union (AU) following the 30 June events in Egypt, namely the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi, did not allow the deal to go through. The AU had suspended Egypt's participation in all its activities in July 2013.
Zaki told Al-Borsa that EHCAAN had postponed a study for employing an airport maintenance company, as no legal framework has yet been concluded for the project. Maintenance work, such as electricity and cleaning, is outsourced.
Meanwhile, EHCAAN stressed that incentives are offered by the holding company in affiliate airports to encourage incoming passenger traffic.
As part of this initiative, the company had adopted exemptions of up to 75%of duties for aircraft hosting, take-offs and landings at the Cairo airport. This rate is at 50% in the Sharm and Hurghada airports, and 60% in Luxor.
Similarly, the Ministry of Civil Aviation reduced departure fees from $20 to only $8.
Awarding EHCAAN a renewal of the ISO reflects "confidence in the efficiency of services offered to planes in the Egyptian airspace and airports," Zaki said. He added that the Cairo Air Navigation Centre (CANC) and the monitoring towers in the airports of Cairo, Sharm, El-Sheikh, Hurghada, Luxor, Aswan, Borg Al-Arab, El-Arish and Taba had also been upgraded.
"The air monitoring devices have been replaced or upgraded in accordance with the latest world-acknowledged satellite applications," Zaki said, pointing to EHCAAN's participation in an international conference held in Jordan for air navigation providers earlier this month. "An Egyptian paper was submitted on navigation services," he added.
The total wages of EHCAAN's workforce in 2013, according to the company chairman, total EGP 894m, marking a rise of 18% compared to 2012.
The company is also studying seven different offers by insurance firms to extend social and health insurance to all staff nationwide, Zaki said.
EHCAAN employees receive medical treatment at EgyptAir Hospital, one of the few places available for the Ministry of Civil Aviation staff to receive medical care.
According to the new health insurance system, the company will offer medical care worth EGP 40,000 to each of its employees annually, as a ceiling for critical cases. It also covers areas not included in the current system, "such as dental care and obstetrics services", Zaki said.


Clic here to read the story from its source.