A protest by air traffic controllers ended Thursday morning after Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation, Lutfi Kamal, promised to study their demands and come to a solution. Cairo International Airport was overcrowded Wednesday night after air traffic controllers protested for 12 hours, delaying arrivals and departures. The controllers protested because their bonuses were frozen. Cairo Airport authorities decided to close security checkpoints after air traffic controllers announced their protest officially. Airport authorities were assisted by neighboring airports in Sharm el-Sheikh, Borg al-Arab, and Alexandria, which were used as substitutes until the protest ended. Security screenings and flights returned to normal operation following the end of the protest. The original closure of airspace was blamed on performances by the air force for Armed Forces Day, but the cause of congestion was the protest. Arabic here Arabic here
