IATA heads to Cairo

Egypt will host the IATA AGM in 2011 for the second time in the association's history. Hussein Massoud, chairman of the hosting carrier, explains how the event would benefit both tourism and air transport in Egypt

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In 1949, Egypt hosted the fifth annual general meeting of the IATA, with the national carrier EgyptAir, the first Arab airline to join IATA and the seventh all over the world, hosting the event. However, the meeting never returned to Egypt over the next six decades. This year in Berlin, IATA member airlines approved a request by EgyptAir to host next year's AGM.

"We are going to Egypt not only because it is such a unique and wonderful country. We consider the fact that EgyptAir has achieved a remarkable growth rate which encouraged our board to take the request seriously," commented IATA's boss Giovanni Bisignani. "But let me add that we are taking our next AGM to Egypt because also there is a minister of aviation, Ahmed Shafiq with such a great and cooperative personality. You wish there were many like him serving air transport in other regions of the world," he added.

For three minutes, the main conference hall held its breath as the attendees watched a film highlighting Egypt's main tourist sites and EgyptAir services. "The approval means that the CEOs of more than 230 airlines, top aviation officials, industry partners, manufacturers and providers of services will gather all at one time in Egypt," explained Hussein Masssoud, EgyptAir Chairman. "We can imagine the extensive media coverage due to accompany those participants. It will be such an amazing global air travel market taking place in Egypt," Massoud added.

IATA's annual meetings are totally financed by the organisation in cooperation with sponsors who handle the event. Airbus, Boeing and services providers are the main sponsors. "We have planned to invite travel agents and tour operators to sponsor short trips to Egypt's most beautiful and charming sites where airline CEOs and their spouses as well as accompanying delegates would get golden opportunities to learn about the real Egypt.

The event also provides a valuable chance for air transport partners to meet with Egyptian investors as well as decision makers to examine and activate effective protocols to enhance cooperation," Massoud added.

IATA Director Giovanni Bisignani revealed that Egypt's AGM would be his last to attend as director general, revealing plans to step down and retire after nine years of hard but successful job with airlines. A new director general will be elected in Egypt.

During the meetings in Berlin, Massoud was elected a member of the Board of Governors which consists of 30 members. With a three-year member duration, Massoud is one of three Arab CEOs elected in the board. Thanks to the great support and lobbying provided by the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) and the African Airlines Association Afra.

"We have been coordinating with Arab and African member airlines in IATA to expand our quota on the board of governors. At present, we have five seats, two are occupied by African airlines and three are occupied by Arab airlines," explained Massoud, who is also AACO chairman. "As the number of Arab and African member airlines in IATA grows, carriers of both regions seek to capture at least two more seats on the board," added Massoud.

The board of governors includes three committees; a chair committee, audit committee and strategy and policy committee. Throughout these committees, the board illustrates the policies that control the business among its member airlines and monitor changes within the industry in cooperation with governmental bodies.

"It has proved to be clear that IATA needs to strengthen its relationship with governmental bodies, at local and international levels. The attendance of the International Civil Aviation Organisation chairman at our meeting reflects IATA's trend to bring official recognition by the international community to pave the way to put IATA recommendations into effect and reduce government resistance," Massoud explained.

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EgyptAir Express adds more flights to Marsa Alam.

Egypt will host the IATA AGM in 2011 for the second time in the association's history. Hussein Massoud, chairman of the hosting carrier, explains how the event would benefit both tourism and air transport in Egypt

THE RED SEA resorts are to be served with more services starting this summer. EgyptAir Express the regional and domestic carrier has signed a new contract to expand operation to Marsa Alam airport. The new agreement stipulates operating domestic and regional flights based on sharing the costs between both airline and airport. The carrier is operating services to Marsa Alam, a BOT airport operated by Kuwaiti Al-Khurafi group, under an agreement reached in 2007 to operate the service on the same base. Vice President, Ibrahim Saleh signed for Al-Khurafi Group.

According to Express Chairman Helmi Rizq, the new agreement allows the carrier to expand current operations between Cairo and Marsa Alam from five flights to seven weekly starting from the first of July. "A weekly flight from Upper Egypt's Luxor city will be launched on Mondays. We will add a weekly flight on Fridays from Abu Simbel starting from next October," explained Rizq.

Marsa Alam will be connected to Alexandria with two flights weekly via Sharm El-Sheikh. "This means adding more flights to Sharm El-Sheikh service," he added. Express, under the agreement, is scheduled to operate three new services from Marsa Alam airport to Jeddah, Kuwait and Amman, each with two flights weekly.

Late last month, Express airline launched a promotional campaign to promote its route to South Sinai's Taba resort city which is currently operating with two flights weekly. The campaign consisted of three parts; an attractive package to spend three nights at five star hotels including a flight ticket at LE 1500. The airline launched an advertisement campaign to promote the city as well as inviting 60 travel agents and tour operators to a fan trip to explore the city.

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EgyptAir named at 2011 IATA world meeting hosts

Posted on 9 June 2010 in Events

EgyptAir will be the focus of air transport industry attention over the next year, with the 2011 IATA annual general meeting now confirmed to be hosted in Cairo. This follows the Star Alliance carrier hosting the Arab Air Carriers Organization's (AACO) yearly gathering in October.

“All air carriers compete to get such an opportunity,” EgyptAir holding company chairman Hussein Massoud told Arabian Aerospace, as the IATA AGM ended in Berlin yesterday.

Massoud said the events will highlight the Egyptian capital as a place for decision-makers to discuss strategy.

With the air transport industry facing many problems, he says, carrier representatives are drawn to high-level conferences. The popularity of the Berlin event is evidence of this, he added: “This gives an indication that, as long as there is a hot issue, people are interested in such meetings.”

EgyptAir is continuing to take delivery of new aircraft, with its first Airbus A330-300 due to arrive in August, several months earlier than originally planned, while four Boeing 737-800s and two more 777-300s will come later this year. Massoud says the carrier is in the next stage of its fleet-planning process, with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 likely to be considered.

Meanwhile Air Arabia’s establishment of a base in Alexandria this month shows that national carrier is not immune to budget carrier competition.

But it has also highlighted an arrangement which prohibits private airlines such as Saudi Arabia’s Sama and NAS Air from operating to Cairo, even though technically the two countries have an ‘open skies’ pact. Massoud says: “You must continue the sentence: it’s open skies, but not when the parties will be hurt.”

This situation has led to a dispute, which started on 5 April when Saudi authorities banned EgyptAir from the Medina route, prompting a similar restriction against Saudi Arabian Airlines on the same route.

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