The global representative body for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), has been encouraged by Egypt’s plan to stimulate the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). The North African country is collaborating with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to create SAF production with an annual capacity of 120 000 t.

This SAF programme is in line with both Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the global aviation sector’s objective of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. “It is an encouraging step which will help place Egypt and its aviation sector on the path to achieving its common goal of decarbonising aviation,” affirmed IATA.

It would ensure the sustainability of the Egyptian aviation sector. And sustainability was one of the three priorities identified by IATA, that Egypt should pursue, if the country wished to continue to maximise the benefits that aviation brought to it.

A second priority was cost-efficiency. Egypt was strategically investing in airport infrastructure, at Cairo International Airport, Borg El Arab Airport and Sphinx International Airport. IATA urged Egypt to work with airlines and apply global best practices as it developed these projects, in order to obviate any unnecessary financial burdens on airlines and passengers.

The third priority was capacity-building, necessary to build and maintain a strong, skilled aviation workforce, without which it would not be possible to expand the benefits of aviation. Across the entire aviation spectrum, from technical operations to digital transformation, and including sustainable practices, Egypt’s aviation workforce had to be future-ready. If it was, the result would be stronger safety, efficiency and greater long-term resilience.

In a study released on Sunday, IATA highlighted that, in 2023, aviation generated $21.1-billion in economic activity for Egypt. This had amounted to 5.3% of the country’s GDP. Egyptian airports handled 338 600 t of air cargo. And airlines directly employed 32 800 people in the country.

“Aviation is a key contributor to Egypt’s economy,” highlighted IATA regional VP for Africa and Middle East Kamil Alawadhi. “Directly and through its well-developed tourism industry, aviation supports nearly 1.4-million jobs. And over 5% of Egypt’s GDP has close links to aviation. Importantly, the Egyptian government is using the aviation sector as a strategic enabler for its economic and social development. I was encouraged by [Dr Sameh Elhefny,] the Minister of Civil Aviation’s reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to continued close collaboration with IATA in order to further expand aviation’s benefits to Egypt – guided by global standards and best practices across all areas of aviation, including safety, sustainability, cost-efficiency, skills development, and more.”