Egyptair facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Egyptair
مصر للطيران

Founded	7 June 1932; 93 years ago (1932-06-07)
Commenced operations	July 1933; 91 years ago (1933-07)
Hubs	Cairo International Airport
Focus cities	Borg El Arab Airport Sharm El Sheikh International Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Egyptair Plus
Alliance	Star Alliance
Subsidiaries	Air Cairo Egyptair Cargo Smart Aviation Company
Fleet size	78
Destinations	102
Parent company	Egyptair Holding Company (Government of Egypt)
Headquarters	Egyptair Administrative Complex Cairo, Egypt
Key people	Eng. Yehia Zakaria (Chairman & CEO​ of Egyptair Holding Company) Capt. Ehab El Tahtawi (CEO​ of Egyptair Airlines)
Employees	9,000 (December 2014)

Egyptair is the national airline of Egypt. It is owned by the Egyptian government. The airline's main base is at Cairo International Airport. From there, it flies passengers and cargo to 81 places in Africa, Europe, Asia, and The Americas. Egyptair is also a part of Star Alliance, a big group of airlines that work together.

History of Egyptair

Starting out: Misr Airwork (1932–1949)

In 1931, a man named Alan Muntz visited Egypt. He wanted to start a new airline there. The company was called Misr Airwork. Misr means "Egypt" in Arabic. On December 31, 1931, the government gave the new company the only right to operate air travel in Egypt.

A part of Misr Airwork, called Misr Airlines, began on June 7, 1932. Its goal was to encourage young Egyptians to get involved in aviation. This made it the seventh airline in the world! Misr Airwork's main office was at Almaza Air Base in Heliopolis, Cairo.

The airline started flying in July 1933. Its first flights connected Cairo with Alexandria and Mersa Matruh. They used small planes called de Havilland DH.84 Dragon. Soon, flights between Cairo and Alexandria happened twice a day. By late 1933, they also started flying to Aswan, stopping in Asyut and Luxor.

In 1934, flights began from Cairo to places like Lydda, Haifa, and Gaza. Misr Airwork used only British-made planes in its early years. By 1939, their fleet included several types of de Havilland planes.

In September 1939, the Egyptian government took over all the airline's routes. In 1940, flights to Beirut and Palestine began. After some plane accidents in 1945, the airline stopped flights for a short time. They started again in May 1946 with new planes. In May 1949, the government bought the entire company. The airline then changed its name to Misrair SAE.

Misrair (1949–1957)

Misrair kept flying to the same places as before. In 1951, they bought three SNCASE Languedoc planes. These were used for longer flights, replacing older planes on routes to Geneva, Khartoum, and Tehran.

In 1952, Misrair took over another Egyptian airline called Services Aériens Internationaux d'Égypte (SAIDE). This ended SAIDE's flights, but Misrair kept their popular Cairo-Tunis route.

Misrair ordered three Vickers Viscount planes in 1954. By March 1955, their fleet had a mix of planes, including Beechcraft, Languedocs, and Vikings. The new Viscounts arrived in December 1955 and started flying in March 1956. Some planes were lost during the Suez crisis. In February 1957, Misrair changed its name again to United Arab Airlines.

United Arab Airlines (1957–1971)

When Egypt and Syria formed the United Arab Republic in 1958, Misrair was renamed United Arab Airlines (UAA). On July 7, a new flight from Cairo to Zürich started. In December, Syrian Airways joined UAA, adding its routes and planes.

By March 1960, UAA had many employees and a fleet of different planes, including DC-3s, Vikings, and Viscounts. On June 9, 1960, the first of three Comet 4C planes arrived. These new planes started flying on July 16.

A United Arab Airlines Comet 4C departs Geneva Airport in 1968.

By October 1960, UAA used Comets for flights to places like London, Jeddah, and Khartoum. DC-3s flew on shorter routes within Egypt. In October 1961, Syria left the union, and Syrian Arab Airways was formed again. UAA returned the routes and planes it had taken over.

UAA continued to expand its routes. Flights to Moscow began in June 1961. In May 1962, the Bombay service was extended all the way to Tokyo, with stops in Bangkok and Hong Kong. However, some plane accidents caused problems for the airline during this time.

A United Arab Airlines Ilyushin Il-62 at Le Bourget Airport in 1971

By March 1965, UAA's fleet included Comet 4Cs and Viscounts, flying across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. In 1966, UAA ordered three Boeing 707-320C planes. The first Boeing 707 arrived in October 1968 and started flying the Cairo–London route.

In 1969, UAA started flights to East Berlin and resumed the Tokyo route. More planes were added, but some accidents also occurred. On January 2, 1971, a Comet crashed near Tripoli, with loss of life. In June 1971, the airline started using new Ilyushin Il-62 planes on European and Asian routes. On October 10, 1971, the airline's name was changed to Egyptair, after the country changed its name to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Egyptair (1971–present)

Egyptair took over all of UAA's staff, planes, and responsibilities. In July 1972, Egyptair ordered eight Tupolev Tu-154 planes and four Boeing 707-320Cs. However, the Tu-154s caused some issues. After one crashed in July 1974 during a training flight, Egyptair asked the Soviets to take back the remaining Tu-154s and give them a refund.

An Egyptair Boeing 707-320C at Zurich Airport in 1978.

To make up for the lost planes, Egyptair leased some aircraft. In 1975, they decided to buy new planes from Boeing instead. This order included four Boeing 727-200s and six Boeing 737-200s. The goal was to have an all-Boeing fleet.

In January 1976, flights to Milan began, and to Vienna in April. In April, a Boeing 737 was hijacked, but an Egyptian team quickly took back control. In October, Egyptair sold its four Comet planes. By the end of the year, seven new Boeing 737 Advanced planes joined the fleet.

An Egyptair Boeing 737-200 Advanced on short final to Zurich Airport in 1979

In February 1977, Egyptair agreed to lease two Airbus A300B4 aircraft. These planes started flying the Cairo–Karachi route in June. Egyptair later bought these two leased A300B4 planes. In 1979, they ordered three more A300B4-200s.

By March 1980, Egyptair had a fleet of Airbus A300B4s, Boeing 707-320Cs, Boeing 737-200s, and Beech Barons. In the early 1980s, eight new Airbus A300B4s were added. In 1984, three Boeing 767-200ERs joined the fleet, named after famous Egyptian queens: "Nefertiti", "Nefertari", and "Tiye". In 1989, two Boeing 767-300ERs, named "Tuthmosis III" and "Ramses II", were also added. Sadly, "Tuthmosis III" crashed in the Atlantic Ocean on October 31, 1999, with no survivors.

An Egyptair Airbus A300B4-600R departs Düsseldorf International Airport in 1997.

Egyptair is owned by the government but runs like a private company. It does not get money from the government and has to earn its own funds. In 2002, Egyptair changed its structure. It became a holding company with several smaller companies under it. This was part of a plan to make the airline and airports more modern.

Egyptair owns Egyptair Express and Air Sinai completely. It also owns parts of Air Cairo (60%) and Smart Aviation Company (20%). In May 2006, Egyptair started a regional airline called Egyptair Express. This airline uses new Embraer E-170 jets to connect Cairo with other cities in Egypt like Sharm El Sheikh and Luxor.

In 2007, Egyptair partnered with other Egyptian aviation companies to create Smart Aviation Company, based at Cairo Airport. In 2009, Egyptair moved all its flights to the new Terminal 3 at Cairo International Airport. This new terminal greatly increased the airport's capacity. All Star Alliance airlines also moved to Terminal 3.

An Egyptair Boeing 737-800 in old livery at Frankfurt Airport in 2013.

After the 2011 Egyptian revolution, Egyptair faced big financial challenges. It lost a lot of money due to things like higher fuel prices and currency changes. In 2012, flight attendants were allowed to wear hijabs as part of their uniform.

In November 2015, Russian authorities stopped Egyptair from flying to Russia for a while due to security concerns. This ban was lifted in April 2018. Egyptair is one of the few airlines that does not serve alcoholic drinks on its flights. In 2019, Egyptair began merging some of its smaller companies, like Egyptair Express and Egyptair Cargo, back into the main airline.

How Egyptair is Organized

Ownership and Structure

Egyptair is fully owned by the Government of Egypt. In 2002, it was set up as a holding company. This means it's a big company that owns several smaller companies.

There are three main airlines that operate under the Egyptair name:

• Egyptair Airlines: This is the main airline that flies passengers.
• Egyptair Cargo: This airline focuses only on carrying cargo.
• Egyptair Express: This airline handles domestic and regional flights within Egypt and nearby areas.

Other companies within the Egyptair group include:

• Egyptair Maintenance & Engineering: They fix and maintain planes for Egyptair and other airlines.
• Egyptair Ground Services: They provide services at airports for many airlines flying to Egypt.
• Egyptair In-flight Services: They handle things like food and drinks on flights.
• Egyptair Tourism & Duty Free Shops: They run duty-free shops and offer tourism services.
• Egyptair Medical Services: They provide medical care.

Other Companies Egyptair Works With

Egyptair also has a share in other companies:

• Air Cairo (60% owned)
• Smart Aviation Company (13.33% owned)
• Air Sinai (100% owned)

Where Egyptair Flies

As of August 2022, Egyptair flies to 81 places in 56 different countries.

Airline Groups (Alliances)

An Egyptair Boeing 737-800 in Star Alliance special livery.

In October 2007, Egyptair was invited to join Star Alliance. This is a big group of airlines that work together to make travel easier for passengers. Egyptair was the first airline from an Arab country and the second African airline to join this alliance. On July 11, 2008, Egyptair officially became the 21st member of Star Alliance.

In 2020, Egyptair also agreed to work with the government of Ghana to create a new airline for Ghana.

Sharing Flights (Codeshare Agreements)

Egyptair works with many other airlines to share flights. This means you can book a flight with Egyptair, but actually fly on a plane operated by one of their partner airlines. This helps them offer more destinations. Some of their partners include:

Flights to Qatar

Because of a political situation in 2017, Egyptair stopped its flights to Doha, Qatar. However, in 2021, after a new agreement was signed, Egyptair started flying to Doha again.

Egyptair's Planes (Fleet)

Current Fleet

An Egyptair Airbus A220-300

An Egyptair Boeing 737-800

An Egyptair Boeing 777-300ER

An Egyptair Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

As of February 2024, the Egyptair fleet has the following types of aircraft:

New Planes and Changes

In 1995, Egyptair ordered three Airbus A340s and three Boeing 777-200s. These new planes were meant to replace older ones. In 2003, the airline ordered seven Airbus A330-200 aircraft to replace its Airbus A300-600R fleet.

Egyptair's relationship with Boeing started in 1968 when they received their first Boeing 707. In 2005, they bought six Boeing 737-800s. In 2010, Egyptair received its first large Boeing 777-300ER plane.

In 2011, Boeing delivered its 50th plane to Egyptair, which was a Boeing 737-800. In 2016, Egyptair ordered eight more Boeing 737-800s. In 2017, the airline planned to order six Boeing 787-9s and fifteen Airbus A320neos.

At the 2019 Dubai Airshow, Egyptair changed its order for 15 Airbus A320neos to include 7 A321neos and 8 A320neos. They also ordered two more Boeing 787-9 planes.

Past Planes (Historical Fleet)

An Egyptair Boeing 767-300ER taxiing at Frankfurt Airport in 1999

Over the years, Egyptair has used many different types of planes. Here are some of the planes that are no longer part of their main fleet:

Incidents and Accidents

Aviation safety is very important. Like many airlines that have been around for a long time, Egyptair has had some incidents and accidents throughout its history. Investigations are always done to find out what happened and to help prevent similar events in the future.

• On December 22, 1951, a Misrair plane crashed in Iran, with loss of life.
• On July 28, 1963, a United Arab Airlines Comet plane crashed into the sea near Bombay, India, with loss of life.
• On March 18, 1966, a United Arab Airlines plane crashed while trying to land in Cairo, with loss of life.
• On March 20, 1969, a United Arab Airlines plane crashed while trying to land at Aswan Airport, with loss of life.
• On March 19, 1972, Egyptair Flight 763 crashed into a mountain in Yemen, with loss of life.
• On January 29, 1973, Egyptair Flight 741 crashed near Nicosia, with loss of life.
• On July 10, 1974, a Tupolev Tu-154 on a training flight crashed near Cairo Airport, with loss of life.
• On December 25, 1976, Egyptair Flight 864 crashed into a building in Bangkok, Thailand, with loss of life on board and on the ground.
• On October 17, 1982, Egyptair Flight 771 had a landing accident in Geneva, Switzerland. No one was hurt, but the plane was badly damaged.
• On November 23, 1985, Egyptair Flight 648 was hijacked to Malta. During a rescue attempt, there was a struggle, and some people on board lost their lives.
• On September 21, 1987, an Airbus A300 crashed at Luxor International Airport during a training flight, with loss of life.
• On October 31, 1999, Egyptair Flight 990, a Boeing 767, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, with no survivors.
• On May 7, 2002, Egyptair Flight 843, a Boeing 737-500, crashed during its approach to Tunis, Tunisia, with loss of life.
• On July 29, 2011, Egyptair Flight 667, a Boeing 777-200ER, caught fire in the cockpit at Cairo International Airport. Everyone got out safely, but the plane was too damaged to fly again.
• On March 29, 2016, Egyptair Flight 181 was hijacked. The plane landed in Cyprus, and all passengers were released safely.
• On May 19, 2016, Egyptair Flight 804, an Airbus A320, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea while flying from Paris to Cairo, with no survivors.

See also

In Spanish: EgyptAir para niños

• Transport in Egypt