Egyptian state airline EgyptAir to begin direct flights to Israel

Egyptian state airline EgyptAir to begin direct flights to Israel
The Egyptian state airline's booking platform shows services are set to depart Cairo for Israel once daily from 3 to 7 October.
2 min read
14 September, 2021
EgyptAir's non-stop services will begin within weeks [Getty]

Egyptian state airline EgyptAir will begin direct flights to the de-facto Israeli capital Tel Aviv out of Cairo next month, according to reports - something last seen in 1979.

The company's booking platform shows services are set to depart the Egyptian capital for Israel once daily from 3 to 7 October, Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported on Tuesday.

Seats for the 80-minute flight cost between 4,500 and 4,900 Egyptian pounds ($286 to $312).

Both Al-Ahram and The Times of Israel suggested there will be four direct flights from Cairo to Tel Aviv each week.

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It follows Israeli media reports that direct flights between the two countries could soon commence.

Egypt's ministry of civil aviation is yet to comment on the claims.

EgyptAir's services will bear their country's flag, being "fully marked", according to The Times of Israel.

This distinguishes them from the Israel-bound flights put on by Air Sinai, which are given a somewhat lower profile.

Air Sinai, which is owned by EgyptAir, began running these services in the 1980s. This was to comply with the normalisation agreement signed by Egypt and Israel in 1979.

This week's flight revelations come alongside Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's Monday encounter with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh, the first such trip in more than ten years.