(AFP Photo)
The aircraft self-service fees have risen in order to be used to fund and support the development of civil aviation in Egypt, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry of Aviation’s charges include $45 for aircraft weighing under 100 metric tons, $60 for aircraft weighing over 100 tons, and $78 for aircraft weighing over 200 tons.
According a Ministry of Civil Aviation official, the fees will be imposed on airline companies who undertake their own servicing and maintenance, rather than EgyptAir Ground Services.
The official described the new fees as manageable, and that they are being imposed to finance construction work at various airports, especially in Hurghada and Cairo.
He estimated that the expected annual revenue from the fees would amount to EGP 20m, or $2.5m.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation is working to develop Hurghada Airport to raise its capacity to 13m passengers annually.
Egypt is currently negotiating with the World Bank for a loan worth $318m to raise the capacity of the Sharm El Sheikh airport to 18m passengers. The airport’s current passenger capacity is 10m.
The African Development Bank refused to grant Egypt a loan due to volatile political conditions in the country and Egypt’s suspension from the African Union.
Air traffic at Egyptian airports grew slightly during the first quarter of 2014, rising 2% from the same period last year.
However, incoming tourism to Egypt during the first half of 2014 fell to 4.5m arrivals, a decrease of 25% from the same period last year.
