EUROCONTROL welcomes Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation, Dr Sameh Elhefny, to Brussels Headquarters

Egypt and EUROCONTROL have enjoyed a strong partnership for over 20 years, dating back to an agreement on air navigation charges signed on 28 April 2004. This cooperation has played a vital role in the calculation, billing, accounting, and collection of air navigation service charges in Egyptian airspace. It has also supported the development of Egypt’s aviation infrastructure within the broader international air navigation framework.

Egypt has a strategic role in regional air traffic management as a key gateway between Europe and Africa/Middle East. EUROCONTROL and Egypt have worked closely together at the operational level, particularly in ATM network matters, exchanging data and coordinating traffic flows.

In the context of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, Egypt has delivered exceptional cooperation, managing a near doubling of traffic due to rerouting of flights away from affected areas, such as Iran, Iraq and Israel. This collaborative effort has been crucial in ensuring smooth continuity of traffic flows between Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

On average, between 1,200 and 1,600 flights per day operate between Egypt and the EUROCONTROL Network Manager (NM) area, accounting for approximately 5% of the total daily traffic within the NM area. Given the high volume of traffic, Egyptian airports serve as key interfaces for the European ATM network.

During his visit, Minister Elhefny engaged in productive discussions with EUROCONTROL senior management about enhancing strengthening existing cooperation and exploring new opportunities for collaboration. The Minister was briefed on the Agency’s strategic objectives, the role of the Network Manager in optimising ATM network performance and ongoing preparations for the busy summer of 2025. He also learned about NM’s digital transformation project, iNM, and visited the state-of-the-art Network Manager Operations Centre.

This meeting marks a continued commitment to strengthening the long-standing partnership between EUROCONTROL and Egypt, further advancing the efficiency and safety of air traffic management across Europe and beyond.

From left: Razvan Bucuroiu, Head of Airspace and Capacity Division at EUROCONTROL, Captain Ehab Mohey, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NANSC, Raúl Medina, Director General of EUROCONTROL, His Excellency Dr Sameh Elhefny, Minister of Civil Aviation of Egypt, and Bhev Chandrasena, CFO responsible for CRCO and Finance at EUROCONTROL