Paris Air Show: Egyptair orders six more Airbus A350 wide-body jets

Egyptair has signed a firm order for an additional six Airbus A350-900 wide-body aircraft as part of a plan to expand its fleet and grow its long-haul network.

The deal announced during the Paris Air Show takes the Egyptian flag carrier's total order for this model to 16.

“We are continuously working to modernise our fleet and deliver a more comfortable and optimised travel experience,” said Ahmed Adel, chairman and chief executive of Egyptair Holding Company.

“It will enable us to meet rising demand for long-haul travel, support our network expansion plans over the next five years, and contribute to Egypt’s broader efforts to promote more sustainable air transport.”

Egyptair's new A350 order comes amid the airline's focus on operating new, more fuel-efficient and lighter aircraft that reduce its environmental footprint.

This is the North African airline's second order for the wide-body jet. It ordered 10 during the Dubai Airshow in 2023.

The first jet from that batch is scheduled for delivery in December, with six more coming next year and another three in 2027, Mohamed Elian, chairman and chief executive of Egyptair Airlines, told The National at the Paris Air Show.

The delivery of the 10 jets will help the airline achieve its target of reaching 114 destinations, up from 89 currently, in Europe, US and the Middle East, he said. It will also have the capacity to increase flight frequencies on existing destinations.

The airline, which has a fleet mix of 65 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, will also take delivery of 18 Boeing 737 Max narrow-bodies in 2026 and 2027.

Premium economy plans

Egyptair is also studying the potential of adding premium economy seats to its current configuration of business and economy class, Mr Elian said.

“A premium economy product is on our list, but so far the aircraft we are getting now are for replacement of older ones or additional aircraft,” he said.

“When we expand in future, we will take a section of economy class seats and use that for premium economy. There is a global trend towards premium economy class and future plans for expansion in aviation will pivot towards it.”

Nineteen of Egyptair's existing Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft are undergoing refurbishment from seats to galleys, he said.

The airline has seven A330-200 jets with plans to convert five of them into freighters and refurbish the remaining two passenger planes.

These revamped jets are under consideration as possible candidates for premium economy class, Mr Elian said.

“It will be a trial to test our market for the premium economy class experience in Egypt,” he said. “This is still under study phase on whether or not to proceed.”

Growth plans

The airline's refurbishment programme stems from an industry-wide shortage of available aircraft amid years-long supply chain bottlenecks and high leasing rates.

Egyptair, like its other airline peers, has faced delays in the delivery of aircraft such as the 737 Max.

To compensate for this, the airline extended its leasing contract for six of its 777-300 aircraft for 18 months, ending in November 2026, Mr Elian said.

The airline is studying the market for expansion opportunities in the period from 2027 to 2031, he said.

The first phase is to expand the fleet to 95 aircraft and carry 15 million passengers by 2028, up from 65 jets and 11 million passengers currently.

Summer demand

Asked about the impact on the aviation industry from escalating conflict and airspace closures, Egyptair's boss said that advanced technology and continued global co-operation on information-sharing eases these challenges.

Earlier this week, Egyptair announced the cancellation of flights to Beirut, Amman, Baghdad, and Erbil until further notice, citing safety concerns amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

The airline said that the decision was made to prioritise the safety of passengers and crew as tension in the region continues to rise.

“The airline is part of the global aviation industry. There will be ups and downs in different areas, but we are largely working with travel seasonality,” Mr Elian said.

The peak season of Hajj travel was marked with strong demand to and from Saudi Arabia, while the summer months will be the time for Egyptian diaspora to travel home and there is also strong demand for holiday travel to Europe and the Far East, he said.

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