International Flights in to Marsa Alam International Airport on the Rise

Marsa Alam International Airport, the world’s first complete BOT and privately financed airport, which received its first international in-bound flight on 5 November 2001, is now receiving 15 charter flights per week from Italy and Germany.

Whilst recent arrival figures indicate Egypt’s tourism bouncing back from a poor winter tourism season, Marsa Alam International Airport (located 220 km south of Hurghada on the southern Red Sea) is now providing an international gateway to a new area of Egypt that is proving very popular with European tour operators and tourists as a new leisure destination.

“We are delighted at just how quickly the recovery has happened, and that we are already receiving 15 international flights per week,” said James Pringle, Chief Executive Director of the M. A. Kharafi Group developments in the Marsa Alam area, who have developed the airport under a 40-year concession agreement with the Egyptian government. “The feedback that we are getting from airlines and passengers is very positive and suggests that our Marsa Alam International Airport provides a new level of service, comfort and efficiency not experienced in any other airport in Egypt. Passengers have particularly praised the fast and comfortable service that they have experienced in both the arrival and departure processes.”

Managed by Aeroport de Paris (who manages airport operations around the world handling some 73 million passengers annually), the airport serves both international and domestic flights and is open 24-hours a day. Currently with a capacity of 600 passengers per hour, an expansion programme is underway to handle 2,500 passengers per hour.

For those few hotels, totaling about 2,500 rooms, and the safari dive boats already operating in the area, the opening of Marsa Alam International Airport has come as a boost for business. Previously only approachable by a 3-hour journey from Hurghada International Airport, travelers are now able to arrive at their destination following a few minutes bus ride.

“We are delighted that the airport has opened, as it is the airport that makes the destination,” said Jean-Marc Busato, Managing Director of Egypt’s (TUI) Iberotel Hotels. “We now have a high-tech airport servicing our area that is not only the best airport in Egypt but one that you can see was planned, built and is being operated on high international standards. Furthermore, not only for us but for all the hotels in the area, our airport-hotel transfer costs will now be a lot lower than before, therefore reducing the cost of our packages.”

Speaking on behalf of the Kuwait-based Mohamed Abdulmohsin Kharafi Group, Pringle pointed out that, “Our aim is to create a new, vibrant, and exciting destination. A destination that will allow Egypt to penetrate new tourism markets, and to explore different aspects of tourism such as eco-tourism.”

Adjacent to Marsa Alam International Airport will be the mega-resort of Port Ghalib that will open in 2003. Sun International, one of the world’s premier destination resort developers and operators, is in collaboration with the Kharafi Group in creating Port Ghalib to be on par with destinations such as San Tropez, Puerto Banus, Sun City, and Port Grimaud.

“Sun International has built its success on a global marketing organization that has an ability to create the demand and the destination – a major requirement of the Kharafi Group in realizing our vision and strategy for Port Ghalib,” said Pringle. “They have a certain mystique associated with their properties that have all demonstrated this same glamour, prestige, broad market sector appeal and magic.”

As Pringle explains, “Port Ghalib has been one of the most carefully planned development projects ever undertaken in the region to ensure environmental and cultural preservation while developing a market driven, exciting and enriching destination. The Port Ghalib 1,000-berth international marina, with its harbourmaster, customs and immigration control, will not only be the largest private marina in the Middle East but an international sea-gateway for yachts in to Egypt.”

Port Ghalib will also benefit from its close proximity to Luxor and Aswan, just a two hour drive away, as well as the temples and Roman garrisons that serviced and protected the ancient trade routes to the Nile Valley that can also be found in the area. Inland there are wadis, pharaonic era rock art and hieroglyphics and pharaonic mines for gold and precious stones.

“From the beginning the Kharafi Group have got it right,” remarks El Hami El Zayat, Chairman and CEO Emeco Travel, which specialises in Egypt’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) market. “If you can give me an exotic location like this on the Red Sea and on top Luxor and Aswan, then in my opinion that is the right package and the right destination.”

“With the opening of the airport and the growing awareness of Marsa Alam, we expect to see the pace of development strengthen and we are projecting roughly 400,000 tourists visiting the area by 2004, growing conservatively to 2 million by 2020,” said Pringle. “By the end of 2002 we expect to be receiving 2 aircraft per day and by 2004 we expect this to climb to 4 aircraft per day. By 2010 we are forecasting 9 aircraft per day with a steady growth from there. In terms of room nights, we envisage roughly 290,000 room nights in 2004 growing to 7.4 million room nights by 2020.”