Air Cairo transferred its Turkish operation to Istanbul Airport from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport on July 23, an event it described as “the beginning of a new phase in its expansion journey”. The move forms part of a broader strategy aimed at strengthening tourism, business travel, trade, investment, and cultural exchanges between Egypt and Türkiye. The inaugural service was flown by Airbus A320-214, SU-BWE (c/n 6500), operating as flight SM303, and touching down at 1011hrs after a 1hr 47min rotation from the Egyptian capital.
The airline intends to launch services from Sharm El-Sheikh to Istanbul on October 26, with Hurghada-Istanbul to follow on December 26, making a total of 11 flights per week between Istanbul and Egypt. It said this “will provide travellers with direct access to Egypt’s premier Red Sea destinations while supporting the continued growth of inbound tourism from the Turkish market and beyond.”
Hussein Sherif, chairman and CEO at Air Cairo, said: “The transfer of all Türkiye operations to Istanbul Airport marks another important milestone in our corporate growth strategy. It reflects our continued commitment to expanding our international network through partnerships with leading global airports, enabling us to strengthen our route network, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver superior connectivity and an enhanced travel experience for our customers. These services will further support inbound tourism, reinforce Egypt’s position as a world-class tourism destination, and contribute to increased trade and investment between our two countries.”
The airline has also launched direct flights to Athens from Cairo and Alexandria. The five times a week service from Cairo commenced on July 24, with the twice-weekly connection to Alexandra starting two days later. The airline plans to introduce flights to Athens from Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada in the coming months.
