AACO: Air Cairo plans to double fleet

Air Cairo plans to double its fleet of four Airbus A320s by next summer as it moves increasingly from being a charter airline to a hybrid business model, also offering low-cost scheduled services.

The scheduled services are operated from Egyptian secondary airports. Air Cairo does not operate from Egypt's capital, to avoid competing with Egyptair. The national carrier is Air Cairo's largest shareholder.

Air Cairo chairman and CEO Yasser El Ramly (pictured left), speaking as the Arab Air Carriers' Organisation AGM was about to get underway in Doha, said the new aircraft would be used to strengthen scheduled services from airports such as Alexandria and Assiut.

Scheduled services are concentrated on regional destinations, such as Tripoli, Amman and Jeddah.

El Ramly wants the new A320s in service by next June and says they will be leased.

The company's expansion plans include operating 20 aircraft five years from now, he adds.

He is convinced that if Egypt's political situation regains stability, tourist traffic will return very quickly.