Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry has launched a tender for private companies to manage, operate, and develop Hurghada International Airport, marking the first step in a broader plan to involve private operators at 11 Egyptian airports.Under the initiative, the government, with advisory support from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will identify strategic partners to manage and operate the airport while maintaining public ownership of the facility.
The IFC will serve as lead adviser for the nationwide airport partnership strategy, guiding all 11 airports planned for private-sector operation.
According to a ministry statement released Wednesday, Hurghada, Egypt’s second-busiest airport and a key gateway for Red Sea tourism, was selected as the starting point for the program.
Civil Aviation Minister Sameh El-Hefny emphasised that upgrading the airport is critical to improving operational efficiency and expanding capacity to meet growing passenger demand.
Egyptian airports handled more than 50 million passengers across nearly 400,000 flights in 2024, with Hurghada leading the country in passenger traffic.
The airport welcomed approximately 10.5 million passengers in the 2024–2025 fiscal year, a 22% increase from the previous year, showing the urgent need for capacity expansion and service improvements.
These include Hurghada International, Sphinx International, Sharm El Sheikh International, Alexandria International, Luxor International, Aswan International, Sohag International, Assiut, Abu Simbel, El Alamein, and Marsa Matruh airports.