Egypt’s first flight to Qatar set for Jan 18

Cairo: EgyptAir will operate its flight to Qatar on January 18 after resuming air travel with the Gulf country, the national carrier’s chief has said.

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Egypt Tuesday announced reopening its airspace to Qatari flights, signalling an end to a dispute of more than three years.

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EgyptAir will fly daily to Qatar, in addition to four flights a week from the Bourj Al Arab airport in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria, head of the airline Rushdy Zakaria said Tuesday night.

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He added that the carrier could increase flights depending on demand.

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“In the beginning, there will be a daily flight. Then, the number of flights will gradually increase as demand rises,” he said.

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“Schedule of flights will be announced once the necessary operation permits are completed by aviation authorities in both countries,” Zakaria added in media remarks.

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Egyptian media, meanwhile, reported that the first Qatar flight will arrive in Egypt on Thursday, carrying a Qatari team to participate in a world handball tournament.

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Qatar Airways will land and take off from Terminal 2 at Cairo airport where the carrier has already an office that has been closed since mid-2017, sources said.

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Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have already reopened their airspaces with Qatar after a historic Gulf summit that ended a rift with Doha.