EgyptAir launches 1st direct flight to Hong Kong

CAIRO – 18 September 2018: Flag carrier airline EgyptAir launched on Monday its inaugural flights to Hong Kong, in line with a plan to increase the number of global company destinations.

According to statement issued by EgyptAir, two flights via Airbus 300-330 aircraft will be scheduled on Mondays and Fridays from Cairo to Hong Kong.

A 25 percent discount is offered by the airline company on all tickets to Hong Kong through to September 30.

Chairman of EgyptAir Holding Company Ahmed Adel said in statements to media outlets last week that the company is always seeking to open up new markets, highlighting that destinations in the Far East are viewed as promising markets in the aviation and air transport fields.

Along with reaching to new destinations around the world and offering a high-quality service during high seasons and holidays, EgyptAir usually announces new direct flights between Cairo and other cities upon high demand.

Last April, EgyptAir announced that three new flights will operate weekly between Kuwait and Egypt, including two flights to Sohag and a third to Cairo as part of the company's plan to provide more services to its customers.

Last August, the flag carrier company said that it increased domestic flights to 200 during the Eid Al-Adha holiday. The breakdown is 61 for Sharm El-Sheikh, 52 for Hurghada, 42 for Aswan, 32 for Luxor, nine for Borg Al-Arab, and four for Marsa Alam.

Official statistics issued by the Red Sea governorate showed that the number of tourists who visited cities in the Red Sea in July reached 505,710 tourists, marking an increase of more than 130,000 tourists compared to June.

EgyptAir previously operated 17 flights to carry a total of 3,675 Egyptian Muslims to Saudi Arabia's Mecca to perform pilgrimage rituals (Hajj).

Nine flights flew to Jeddah from Cairo and Sharm El- Sheikh, while eight others left for Medina, stated the state-owned news agency MENA.

A total of 325 flights carrying 62,000 pilgrims flew to Saudi Arabia, including pilgrims from Mali and Palestine for the 2018 Hajj season.

EgyptAir began operating pilgrims’ flights as of August 1, when pilgrims from both North and South Sinai arrived at Jeddah International Airport. However, the first flight to Medina took off on August 2, carrying pilgrims from Giza and Port Said governorates, according to Chairman of the national carrier company Sherif Ezzat.

The hajj, a five-day ritual retracing the journey of Prophet Mohammad that took place 14 centuries ago, is a religious duty that Islamic teachings require for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it.

It is the world's largest annual Muslim gathering, with over 2.3 million people participating this year. The faithful come from nearly every country in the world, speaking dozens of languages and sometimes practicing Islam in different ways based on local customs or traditions.