Egypt, Qatar discuss boosting air traffic, civil aviation cooperation

Minister of Civil Aviation Sameh al-Hefny underscored the importance of continued coordination among Arab countries in addressing regional challenges, particularly amid developments affecting civil aviation traffic. He said cooperation and the pooling of efforts were essential to ensuring the safety and smooth flow of air transport. Al-Hefny made the remarks during a meeting on Sunday, November 1, 2026, with Qatar’s Minister of Transport Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani, Qatar’s Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Thani, and their accompanying delegation. The meeting was attended by Civil Aviation Authority President Sameh Fawzy and Ministry of Civil Aviation Director General of International Relations Lamia Sami. The talks were held within the framework of fraternal relations between Egypt and Qatar and the two countries’ keenness to strengthen cooperation in air transport. They addressed ways to enhance coordination between the civil aviation authorities of both countries, mechanisms for supporting and developing air traffic between them, and the exchange of technical and operational expertise to improve the air transport system and enhance its efficiency, while opening up broader prospects for future cooperation. Al-Hefny said Egyptian-Qatari relations were making continued progress, noting that civil aviation was a promising area for deepening cooperation between the two countries. He added that the ministry was keen to expand cooperation and had directed a study into the possibility of increasing air traffic between the two countries. For his part, the Qatari minister voiced appreciation for the fraternal ties between Egypt and Qatar, affirming his country’s interest in strengthening cooperation with Egypt and its desire to increase air traffic between the two countries. He said this would support growing travel, tourism and trade exchanges and enable both sides to make better use of their capabilities in air transport. He also expressed Qatar’s aspiration to continue coordination with the relevant Egyptian authorities to make further progress in areas of cooperation.