The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has asked EgyptAir to replace ageing aircraft deployed on its Nigerian routes with newer-generation planes.
Keyamo made the demand on Thursday during a bilateral meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh El-Hefny, on the sidelines of the ongoing El-Alamein International Airshow in Egypt.
According to a statement by Keyamo’s media aide, Tunde Moshood, the meeting focused on improving air connectivity between Nigeria and Egypt and strengthening cooperation between their civil aviation authorities.
The discussions also covered the expansion of technical and professional capacity and greater opportunities for collaboration among airlines, airports, regulators and other aviation stakeholders.
Moshood said Keyamo emphasised the need for stronger and more modern fleet deployment by EgyptAir on its Nigerian routes.
“He urged the management of EgyptAir to move away from the continued deployment of ageing aircraft and prioritise the introduction of newer-generation aircraft into the Nigerian market,” Moshood said.
The minister noted that fleet modernisation was essential to improving passenger experience, operational efficiency and the competitiveness of the airline.
Keyamo also stressed the strategic importance of Nigeria-Egypt aviation relations, noting that both countries occupy important positions in Africa’s aviation ecosystem.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to expanding strategic international partnerships to improve connectivity, promote tourism and trade, support airline growth and deliver greater value to passengers and the aviation industry.
According to the statement, the Nigerian delegation expressed the country’s readiness to work with Egypt’s Ministry of Civil Aviation to identify areas of mutual cooperation, particularly under the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
On his part, El-Hefny welcomed the engagement and reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to strengthening aviation cooperation with Nigeria.
He called for closer collaboration between both countries to advance air transport development and strengthen links between their aviation industries.
The Egyptian minister also advocated greater institutional cooperation between the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) and the League of Arab Civil Aviation (LACA).
“Enhanced collaboration between the two regional aviation bodies could promote stronger partnerships and facilitate greater cooperation among African and Arab States,” he said.
Moshood said the meeting ended with both ministers reaffirming their commitment to sustained dialogue, stronger institutional cooperation and initiatives that would deliver tangible benefits to the aviation sectors of both countries.
