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Air Cairo launches direct flights between Tel Aviv and Sharm El-Sheikh
May 03, 2022
Low-fare airline operating three weekly flights from Ben Gurion Airport to Red Sea resort city
Air Cairo on Monday launched direct flights between Tel Aviv and Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
The Cairo-based low-fare airline, which is 60 percent owned by state-owned flag carrier Egyptair, is operating three weekly flights between Ben Gurion Airport and the Sinai resort.
The airline is using an Airbus 320 for the flights.
The cost of a round-trip ticket is approximately $300.
"Tourism represents a bridgehead for creating diplomatic relations between countries," Israel's Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said at a special ceremony Monday at Ben Gurion Airport to celebrate the launch of the new route.
"The historic peace agreement with Egypt and after it the agreement with Jordan and the Abraham Accords with the Gulf states have led to tourism cooperation, which cements the bridges between the countries."
Three Israeli airlines already launched three weekly direct flights each to Sharm El-Sheikh — El Al unit Sun D'Or, Arkia and Israir.
That brings the total to 12 weekly flights, and more during the summer as Egypt has allowed the Israeli airlines to each operate five weekly flights from the summer.
Israel and Egypt agreed to launch direct flights to Sharm El-Sheikh in Marchafter security arrangements were finalized.
The new route was brought up in September 2021 during a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi that took place in Sharm El-Sheikh.