Egypt Airways Airlines

  About EgyptAir

EgyptAir is the official national flag carrier of Egypt. The airline has its headquarters in Cairo International Airport, which also plays as its main hub. A majority of scheduled passenger flight operations and freight services connect to about 75 destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, North and South America. The airline is also a recognised member of the Star Alliance airline carrier and is part of the Arab Air Carriers Organization. EgyptAir came into existence in 1932 after Airwork chairman Alan Muntz expressed his intention to start a new airline in Egypt. The enterprise was originally named Misr Airwork, where Misr stood for the Arabic name of Egypt. The government also granted the company exclusive rights to conduct transport operations. Following the founding of the company, Misr Airwork introduced Misr Airlines as its first subsidiary in 1932. The idea of bringing forth the airline was to promote the spirit of aviation among the youth of Egypt. It managed to become the seventh carrier in the world and had its headquarters in Almaza Aerodrome, Heliopolis, Cairo.

Following its genesis, the airline's operations commenced in 1933 with the use of de Havilland DH.84 Dragon. The flight was connected to Alexandria and Mersa Matruh from Cairo. The same year, the frequency of flight services doubled as the demand increased. Eventually, the airline managed to extend its domestic route network by connecting to cities such as Aswan, Gaza, Lydda, Haifa, Luxor and more. The state of Egypt received sola shareholding power of the company and changed its name to Misair SAE. Following the change in ownership, the airline continued to fly the same routes. Subsequently, the airline also purchased Douglas DC-3s to be deployed for domestic routes as well as a few Arab countries. A few years later, Misair once again changed its name to United Arab Airlines and added Viscounts in its fleet to cater to medium-haul flights. The name was given to the airline following the formation of Egypt and Syria to become the United Arab Republic. International route services to Athens, Rome and Zurich commenced as the airline expanded its fleet with more DC-3s, six Viscounts and six Vikings.

In 1971, the airline was renamed as EgyptAir following a change in the name of the country to the Arab Republic of Egypt. EgyptAir is a state-owned enterprise that has proper legalisation, allowing the management to operate as a private entity would function, without any external interference, especially from the government. The self-financed company has no backing from the Egyptian government. In 2002, EgyptAir underwent tremendous corporate re-engineering as they reworked on the management style from a government-oriented into a holding company. The restructuring of the management happened at the same time as the civil aviation's announcement of the Egyptian government to refurbish and upgrade its airport facilities. EgyptAir owns two subsidiaries, namely EgyptAir Express and Air Sinai. The airline also has a 60 per cent stake in Air Cairo as well as a 20 per cent share in Smart Aviation Company. In 2011, the airline did succumb to tremendous losses after the revolution. An estimated 1.3 billion Egyptian pounds were recorded as losses during the fiscal year 2012-13. However, despite the tremendous loss suffered by the airline, they managed to bring back their A-game in the aviation industry.

Fleet size of EgyptAir

As of 2020, EgyptAir's fleet size stands at 67 with flights from the Airbus and Boeing aircraft family. EgyptAir became the 37th customer for Airbus A330/340s in 1995 after ordering three Airbus A340s. In 1996, the airline received its first 260-seater aircraft which was brought in on lease from Gulf Air. The airline also purchased a 308-seater Boeing 77-200s for a whopping USD 400 million 1995. The GE-90 powered aircraft with A340-200s were brought in as replacements to the fleet's Airbus A300B4 and Boeing 767-200 fleet. EgyptAir also ordered seven Airbus A330-200 aircraft in 2003 to replace its existing Airbus A300-600R fleet. EgyptAir has an old relationship with Boeing aircraft manufacturer. The airline received its first Boeing 707 in 1968. In 2010, 346-seater Boeing 777-300ER was delivered by the aircraft company to Egyptair, becoming the first-ever addition of such a massive seater-aircraft in the airline's fleet. In 2017, EgyptAir also announced that they would be placing an order for a purchase of six Boeing 787-9s and fifteen Airbus A320neos. Eventually, in 2019, the airline made its order at the Dubai Airshow that they are purchasing seven A321neos and eight A320neos.

Baggage Allowance

EgyptAir's baggage allowance rules and regulations are quite diverse as it also accommodates the protocols of Star Alliance's membership perks. Predominantly, the baggage allowance on EgyptAir's economy class differs according to the fare rules shared by the airline. However, the weight per piece of baggage should not exceed 23 kg. The dimensions of the bag should also not exceed 158 cm. While the baggage dimension rule applies to the business class traveller as well, the number of bags allowed is two pieces. The weight per piece of baggage should not exceed 32 kg individually. The perks of travelling by business class in terms of baggage allowance are certainly high. In terms of hand luggage too, the business class receives permission to carry two pieces of baggage on board with each piece weighing no more than 8 kg. The economy class passengers are allowed to carry one piece of hand baggage which cannot weigh more than 8 kg. Along with these bags, travellers are also allowed to additionally carry an extra piece of a small bag which could be a handbag or a laptop bag.

In-flight services

EgyptAir's in-flight services have received tremendous positive responses from travellers around the world. Much recently, the airline did announce that it would be undergoing some refurbishments and upgrades to enhance the experience of passengers flying with them. Since the announcement, the airline has catered to better in-flight services. The seating configuration in their aircraft along with the plush seating has seen a drastic change for the better. It is more comfortable and caters to the needs of the passengers. The recline is pretty decent, and even the provision of personal entertainment systems with engaging and updated content adds to its perks. The aircraft does cater to decent recline as well as legroom that is better than many of the airlines in the world. One can also choose the seats they want ahead of the flight.

The airline provides exemplary in-flight meal services that go down well with the passenger's gastronomical desires. Since one of the subsidiaries of EgyptAir is also the catering service that provides for the airline's in-flight meals, the meals meet with high standards. Depending on the type of journey and distance, the airline offers complimentary meals in-flight. EgyptAir is one of the few airlines in the world that does not serve alcohol on its flights, owing to the traditional Islamic beliefs. The in-flight staff are also quite friendly and accommodating to any requirements that the passenger might need during the journey.

Popular routes and top cities for EgyptAir

EgyptAir was voted as the newest airline to join the Star Alliance airline alliance becoming the first one from an Arab country to join the bandwagon. A ceremony to commemorate the same was held at Cairo International Airport in the same year as it became the 21st member of the alliance body. Over the years, EgyptAir has managed to upscale its connectivity with extensive domestic routes and international routes. It has phenomenal connectivity to various European, African and Middle Eastern cities. As on 2020, the airline caters to international destinations such as Vienna, Bahrain, Brussels, Toronto, Nicosia, Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor, Addis Ababa, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Accra, Athens, Mykonos, Hong Kong, Budapest, Mumbai, Baghdad, Milan, Rome, Tokyo-Narita, Amman, Kuwait City, Amsterdam, Abuja, Lagos, Muscat, Moscow, Jeddah, Medina, Riyadh, Barcelona, Geneva, Tunisia, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London, New York City and Washington DC.

Why travel by EgyptAir?

EgyptAir is easily one of the archaic airlines in the world and has earned quite a reputation over the years. With an extensive fleet that only has the best-handpicked aircraft along with impeccable in-flight services, it easily becomes one of the best to pick, especially to travel to international routes such as Europe, Africa or the Middle East. EgyptAir's domestic route connectivity is also excellent, making travelling within Egypt convenient. As part of its expansion and up-gradation plans, the airline has accommodated several good services that can be availed on a mobile phone. Passengers can get updates on the flight status as well as do web check-ins on the airline's official website.

Similarly, the airline also enables exquisite in-flight services that would make one's journey cosy. Booking an EgyptAir flight is also easy as it has a global presence and can be found on all travel portals. Not to mention how the travellers can book tickets on the airline's official website itself. Simultaneously, one can also check EgyptAir's flight schedule and pick the most convenient one. The airline is easily one of the most sought-after with great facilities to offer.