According to the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, the airports included in the development plan are: Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, Borg El Arab, Luxor, Aswan, Sohag, Assiut, Abu Simbel, Alamein, and Marsa Matrouh.
The Egyptian government is moving forward with plans to upgrade 11 airports across the country in collaboration with the private sector, aiming to strengthen infrastructure, enhance passenger services, and increase state revenue.
According to the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, the airports included in the development plan are: Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, Borg El Arab, Luxor, Aswan, Sohag, Assiut, Abu Simbel, Alamein, and Marsa Matrouh.
To support this initiative, Egypt is working closely with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to provide specialized advisory services that facilitate public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the aviation sector. The goal is to improve infrastructure, connectivity, and service quality across Egypt's airport network.
As part of the collaboration, the IFC will assist the Ministry of Civil Aviation in developing a comprehensive strategy for private sector partnerships across the 11 targeted airports, which account for a significant share of both domestic and international air traffic in Egypt.
Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, stated that this partnership with the IFC builds on the government’s asset monetization program launched in June 2023, which supports the implementation of Egypt’s State Ownership Policy Document and promotes private sector–led economic growth.
IFC will also act as the lead transaction advisor for the Hurghada International Airport PPP project, selected as the pilot due to its status as Egypt’s second-busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic and flight operations.
According to the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation, Egyptian airports handled over 50 million passengers across nearly 400,000 flights in 2024.
The development program aims to attract private financing to modernize and expand the airports—without placing any financial burden on the state budget.
It is expected that the private sector’s innovation and efficiency will help boost government revenues, improve infrastructure quality, and attract more passengers.
For the Hurghada Airport project, IFC will support the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation in launching a competitive tender to select a strategic private partner for upgrading, maintaining, and operating the airport.
Ownership of the airport will remain with the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation.
Meanwhile, IFC will assess the best model for private sector involvement in the remaining ten airports. This includes exploring the possibility of bundling multiple airports in a single transaction and preparing a roadmap for program implementation.
