Turkey-Egypt flight ties best ever: Turkish Airline CEO

By Aydogan Kalabalik

CAIRO (AA) - The aviation sector between Turkey and Egypt is enjoying its best period yet, according to the CEO of flag carrier Turkish Airlines.

"Istanbul is the best hub for Egyptian flights, last year was very good for Turkish Airlines," Bilal Eksi told Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of an Arab Air Carriers' Organization (AACO) meeting in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

He stated that both Turkish Airlines and EgyptAir are working to boost tourism between the two countries.

The Turkish carrier flies to four cities in Egypt -- Cairo, Alexandria, Sharm el-Sheikh, and Hurghada -- a total of 44 times weekly, and it plans to add more flights, said Eksi.

He also said the number of passengers between Turkey and Egypt rose 20 percent this year compared to 2017.

The two carriers have a codeshare program to sell tickets for joint flights, he added.

In 2017 Turkish Airlines carried 583,000 passengers between Turkey and Egypt.

With its fleet of 330 aircraft, Turkish Airlines, founded in 1933, flies to more than 300 destinations in over 120 countries.