Page 57 - World Airnews Magazine July Edition 2020

NEWS DIGITAL

aviation’s recovery. corporations and governments wanting to will be cooperation between traditional
“We have been key to humanitarian and send employees around the world quickly. competitors, who must exchange informa-
repatriation operations and will continue But Alnaqbi remains unfazed by the rise of tion and advice, said Alnaqbi. Even before
to be. We would like to be considered as Zoom and co. the pandemic, Alnaqbi witnessed MEBAA’s
a priority when we’re allowed to fly again “Business will continue to be done face members and competitors working
because business aviation is a very light op- to face. We are not worried about it. It’s a together closely. The group gathered for a
eration. We can turn around very quickly; temporary measure during the pandemic POC (planning and operations committee)
we can start delivering goods and services that a lot of business is conducted virtually. meeting in February where CEOs of various
and take passengers to places faster than When IT started to develop many years companies in the industry discussed
airlines until carriers shape up their plan. back, there were concerns that people common issues.
We want to be part of the post-pandemic would not travel but that was proved Alnaqbi said, “The cake is big here and
restart operation taskforce.” wrong. we should not look at it in terms of how big
The rise of virtual meeting platforms “Face to face meetings will always a slice I can get but how can we grow this
such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams be better than virtual. I don’t think it cake bigger and bigger. This is what we are
during the pandemic has led some will impact us. Business aviation is the trying to do and we are trying to implement
people in to think that the demand for fastest way of travelling so I am not really a code of conduct between members.
business travel will take a hit even after concerned. As soon as the pandemic is over Competitors have already proved before
international borders reopen. Naturally, we will have to prepare ourselves to restart the pandemic they can work together,
such an outcome would be harmful to the operations.” which puts business aviation in a strong
private aviation operators relying on Central to business aviation’s recovery position for recovery.” Q

AFRICAN
A BRAND NEW WAY FORWARD

FOR FLYEGYPT

-700 variant. The introduction of the MAXs national economy.”
will probably be the last additions until FlyEgypt will operate scheduled services
It’s not only major airlines that have after the airline’s current medium-term from Cairo International Airport to
suffered from the grounding of Boeing’s plan ends in 2024. Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Marsa Alam,
FlyEgypt’s network is an unusual blend
737 MAX. of 70% charter flights from Europe plus Luxor and Aswan. “We’ll be building up
Small Egyptian hybrid carrier, FlyEgypt, 30% scheduled services. The charter our domestic capacity early this year,”
was on course to take the first two of an sector offers considerable opportunities, added chief commercial officer Karim
order for four MAX 8s in time for summer as Tahtawi estimated that only 8 to 10% Baky.
season 2019 when the latest model of of holidaymakers heading to Egypt are The launch of the new domestic network
Boeing’s popular single-aisle jet was carried by the country’s airlines. was a major factor behind the decision to
grounded in March 2019. This is more than double the figure of rebrand the airline, just five years after its
That was a major problem for FlyEgypt’s five years ago, when only 3% of tourists launch.
CEO, Captain Ehab El Tahtawi, and his were carried by Egyptian airlines, but “Originally, we were only transporting
team. A “very promising” summer 2019 still leaves considerable potential for Europeans to Egypt,” explained Tahtawi.
season had been in prospect, with expansion. Tahtawi believes that Egyptian “It was a brand that was known in Europe,
contracts having been signed with several companies’ lower cost bases make them but not in Egypt. Now we’re approaching
European tour operators for flights to competitive with European rivals when Egyptian customers, we wanted to have a
Egypt’s holiday destinations. carrying tourists to Egypt. fresh livery.”
“In March 2019, everything went in the Since its origin in 2015, FlyEgypt has The company has chosen a combination
wrong direction, as you know,” Tahtawi expanded swiftly. In its first year of of colours and arcs, reminiscent of Nubian
said. “We’ve been suffering actually.” operation, it carried 90,000 passengers. culture, that will be immediately familiar
The sudden loss of planned capacity In 2018, that had risen to 750,000 and to domestic passengers.
required FlyEgypt to renegotiate agree- last year, despite the problems, the airline The company will offer both an
ments with European customers and looked likely to “join the one million club”, economy and premium economy option
to shrink operations for the season. as Tahtawi put it. on its domestic flights, a reflection of its
However, with goodwill on both sides, Those numbers are set to grow further positioning as a hybrid carrier.
some contracts were halted, others this year, as the airline has now launched a “We’re not a pure low-cost carrier,”
deferred until this year. domestic route network, with flights from Tahtawi said. “We don’t sell each and
Assuming that the MAX returns to Cairo to five Egyptian destinations. every service.” Additionally, FlyEgypt
service as anticipated (it was being “Launching the domestic network has is taking under its own control certain
mooted at the time of writing), Tahtawi is been a key component of our long-term services that a low-cost carrier would
hopeful that the first two new aircraft will growth plans, and we’re very excited to be outsource, such as its own ground-han-
arrive in Q2 this year, although he is not finally seeing this milestone come to life,” dling, which it discovered it could do more
yet sure when the second pair will appear: he said as he announced the new services economically than paying EgyptAir for the
“We’re still in talks with the lessors,” he in late October. “Not only is it important service.
explained. for us as an airline, but we believe that it So, 2020 holds the promise that 2019
The airline’s current fleet consists of five helps support tourism and rural employ- did a year ago. All FlyEgypt needs now is
Boeing 737-800s, plus two of the smaller ment, which are both critical for Egypt’s those MAXs. Q

World Airnews | July Extra 2020
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