Aviation is a key driver of Egypt's economy, according to a recent study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The study, based on 2023 figures, said aviation generated around $21.1bn of economic activity for Egypt — equal to 5.3% of Egypt's gross domestic product (GDP), as well as providing around 1.4 million jobs across the supply chain and including tourism. Around 32,800 of those are directly employed by airlines.
“Aviation is a key contributor to Egypt's economy,” said IATA regional vice president for Africa and Middle East Kamil Alawadhi in a statement from April 27, 2025.
Alawadhi had recently met with Egypt's minister of civil aviation Sameh Elhefny. Alawadhi said: “I was encouraged by the minister of civil aviation's reaffirmation of the government's commitment to continued close collaboration with IATA in order to further expand aviation's benefits to Egypt — guided by global standards and best practices across all areas of aviation, including safety, sustainability, cost-efficiency, skills development, and more.”
IATA outlined three key priorities for Egypt to further maximise the benefits of aviation, including: cost-efficiency, sustainability, and capacity-building.