EGYPT AIR PUTS DISAPPOINTING YEAR BEHIND THEM, LOOKS AT THE FUTURE
Egypts national airline is apparently putting a disappointing year behind them, which saw traffic disruptions during the revolution lead to major shifts in market share, before eventually making a recovery but still recording a profit reduction by more than three quarters compared to 2010.
Now flying 4 times a week again between Entebbe and Cairo, with according to a local source ok loadfactors, Egypt Air is for 2012 and beyond again on the expansion trail. The reopening yesterday of the route between Cairo and Tokyo has raised interest levels for connecting flights which the airline now puts at 25 percent and rising, attracting traffic from the East African destinations MK is flying to at present. The source also mentioned that in both 2012 and 2013 more routes would be launched, including flights to Toronto / Canada. Earlier in the month did the airline CEO also confirm that discussions were underway what future aircraft would eventually replace the current fleet of B777 and A330, with the most likely successors, late this decade, being the B787 and the yet to fly A350.
Another source at Ethiopian Airlines also confirmed ongoing intense discussions between the two Star Alliance partners to enter into a joint venture in West Africa, where ET already is directly engaged with ASKY based in Lome / Togo. Should the talks yield results it would strengthen the position of not just the two airlines in the underserviced West African market but also increased the continental penetration of Star Alliance, which is the only airline alliance with presently three members in Africa, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines since December last year and Egypt Air. Watch this space.
