Sisi attends air show at Alamein airport

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi attended on Tuesday the inauguration of Egypt International Airshow 2024, the first of its kind in Egypt, along with another airshow held on the sidelines of the event at Alamein International Airport.

Over 300 aviation and aerospace companies from more than 100 countries have participated in the three-day event.

The event, which is the largest in Africa and the Middle East, aims to advance industrialization, digitalization, and globalization within the defence, space, and commercial aviation sectors across these regions.

The airshow began with a performance by the Egyptian Air Force aerobatic team, the Silver Stars, followed by a solo display of a Rafale jet.

Saudi Arabia’s Eurofighter Typhoon, China’s Y-20, and the UAE’s Mirage 2000 also presented solo performances.

Minister of Defence Abdel-Meguid Saqr, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces Ahmed Khalifa, several ministers and senior state officials, and representatives of companies and countries participating in the event also attended the show.

Furthermore, El-Sisi watched a documentary about the history of aviation in Egypt before attending an airshow that was part of the international event.

He also inspected the pavilions and exhibits of national and international companies participating in the event, the first of its kind in Africa and the Middle East.

During his tour, President El-Sisi visited the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) pavilion, where its Chairman Mokhtar Abdel-Latif provided a detailed overview of the organization’s aviation-related products and activities.

The expo is anticipated to result in significant agreements between Egypt and major aerospace companies, including the AOI and France’s Safran.

Abdel-Latif indicated that AOI’s engine factory conducts overhauls for 16 different aircraft models.

He said the factory is accredited by the French Safran Engines Group, which makes it the only global centre authorized to overhaul, maintain, repair, and manufacture spare parts for the LARZAC engine used in the Alpha Jet aircraft.

Additionally, the factory is approved by the American company Honeywell to carry out maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for the K-8 trainer aircraft.

Abdel-Latif noted that the factory has also been recognized as an international centre for overhauling the M1E1 tank engine, in collaboration with Dassault Aviation, a French aerospace company renowned for manufacturing military aircraft and business jets.

Moreover, El-Sisi thanked France and French company Dassault Aviation for constructive cooperation with Egypt in the aviation domain.

“I’m pleased that the fleet of Rafale aircraft has become the second largest in the Egyptian Air Force,” El-Sisi said while inspecting pavilions and exhibits of national and international firms taking part.

Meanwhile, the official of the French pavilion at the expo said she is pleased with the cooperation with Egypt.

In addition, she hailed the 15-year-old constructive partnership between the two countries in aviation, especially with the AOI.

The president also inspected the Chinese pavilion, where the chairman of China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) briefed him about their participation in the event.

The CATIC chairman also expressed his country’s appreciation to the Egyptian Ministry of Defence for organizing this iconic airshow.

“The Chinese Air Force has sent China’s Y-20 transport aircraft and J-10 performance aircraft to participate in the expo,” he stated.