Egypt to Reopen All Airports on July 1

Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Manar said on Sunday all airports nationwide will resume flights as of July 1 within a comprehensive plan to resume activities at tourist facilities, hotels, airports, and airlines.

The minister was addressing a press conference that was also attended by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El Anany and Minister of State for Information Osama Haikal.

"The flights will be resumed with countries that will reopen their airports next month," he said.

Manar noted the operations would be resumed gradually at airports, thanking the political leadership for its continued support to the aviation sector.

"The Civil Aviation Ministry worked on improving the efficiency of all airports nationwide in the past period," he added.

Passengers will be required to finalize several measures before boarding their plane to Egypt, including signing an acknowledgment document specifying the Egyptian city they plan to visit before receiving their boarding cards.

"Passengers coming from countries announced to be affected by the pandemic shall submit a fresh PCR test no later than 48 hours before their flights", the minister stressed.

Travelers are obliged to keep a safe distance between each other while boarding and getting off the plane, Manar said, adding that the whole plane will be sterilized and disinfected after each flight.

All the Passengers and crews will be obligated to wear face masks, he affirmed.

"Only dry meals and canned drinks will be offered, while disinfectants, gloves, and masks will be provided for each passenger," he pointed out.

The distribution of any paper publications on board the plane will be banned.

Moreover, isolated seats will be allocated for people with chronic diseases who cannot wear face masks for a long period, as well as passengers who may show symptoms, the minister said.

Sterilization and disinfection operations will be carried out around the clock at the airports and the staff will adhere to health safety standards, he stressed. Sterilization gates were also installed.

Tourism Minister's Words:

Anany said the government is also offering incentives for tourists wishing to visit Egypt, such as the removal of tourist visas for visitors of Egyptian touristic governorates until October 31.

The minister pointed out that the Civil Aviation Ministry decided to offer a 50 % discount on landing and parking fees and a 20% discount on ground services in South Sinai, Hurghada, and Matrouh airports.

The Ministry of Petroleum offers a discount on aviation fuel prices that reaches 10 cents per gallon.

Moreover, the archaeological sites will be opened gradually as of July 1. "Foreign tourists are welcomed to South Sinai, the Red Sea, and Matrouh governorates," he added.

The minister said that reopening hotels requires a health safety certificate, which is granted by three parties: the Ministry of Tourism, the Health Ministry, and the Chamber of Hotel Establishments.

Anany stressed that the ministry would firmly deal with any hotel violating the required controls.

He added that his ministry requested hotels to increase their occupancy cap to 50% and abide by health measures announced earlier to curb the pandemic outbreak.