Egyptian Aviation Blog: EgyptAir takes delivery of its first new A330-300 and offers full in-flight connectivity

Posted on 29 August 2010 in Air Transport

EgyptAir has received its first Airbus 330-300. It will begin the morning route between Cairo and London and starts the full onboard connectivity service from the airline.

The new A330 embraces a number of the latest technologies like using the wireless internet and personal mobile on board.

A spokesman for EgyptAir said “Besides using the GSM, SMS and GPRS services. The passengers flying onboard the new A330-300 will be able to make phone calls through their personal mobiles with the same international calls rate of their service providers, in addition to the ability of sending SMS and using the mobile internet service. Moreover, the customers will enjoy using the WI-FI service throughout their flight”.

The A330-300 has 301 seats, of which 36 are in business class and 265 in economy class. All EgyptAir business class customers flying onboard the aircraft will be able to recharge their personal devices and will be able to sleep on their 160ْ Flat Beds. The airline also promises hundreds of entertainment options with personal entertainment system screened on the 15.4” screens.

The economy seats also provide wider seats than on the older models and with personal entertainment system displayed on the back of every seat there also individual power sources for passenger’s laptops and other electronic equipment.

The new aircraft arrived in Cairo at 14:00h local time yesterday following an official handover ceremony in Toulouse between Fouad El- Attar, Airbus Middle East Vice Chairman and Capt Alaa Ashour, the chairman and CEO of the airline.

The aircraft was met at Cairo International Airport by the chairman of the airline’s parent company, Hussein Massoud with a number of Egyptian Civil Aviation and EgyptAir officials

Massoud said “The delivery of this aircraft - the first of five A330-300 orders - comes in line with the continuous strategic development of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Sector under the leadership of HE Ahmed Shafiq, the Egyptian Minister of Civil aviation and also comes within EgyptAir’s ambitious plan to expand and modernize the fleet and the continuous development EgyptAir services.”