EGYPT SUSPENDS ALL FLIGHTS UNTIL MID-APRIL

Passengers wear protective face masks upon return to Cairo International Airport (CAI) - credits: Amr Dalsh, REUTERS

In an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has extended the suspension of all flights to and from Egypt until the 15th of April.

This is an extension of the original decision to suspend international flights entering and leaving Egypt for two weeks, starting from March 19th until the end of the month.

Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister, Captain Mohamed Manar, stated that the suspension does not apply to international ambulance flights to and from the country, or to the shipment of goods. Airplane refuelings and technical landings, he added, are also allowed, with the caveat that the airplanes do not stay overnight, and that the crew onboard does not disembark.

Domestic flights within Egypt are still continuing, and select chartered flights will be available for tourists who wish to return to their countries, Captain Manar continued, but no new tourist groups will enter the country.

In the week leading up to the suspension, EgyptAir, Egypt's flag airline, increased the number of flights and the size of the airplanes entering the country, to accommodate the number of Egyptians abroad rushing to return to the country before the deadline.

The last flight out of the country was a Nile Airways flight carrying 135 Mexican tourists to England, after which began a deep disinfection of all the halls, lounges, hangers, and administrative buildings.

"There will be financial repercussions to this decision", Madbouly stated in a televised press conference, "but the health and welfare of the Egyptian people are the state's top priority."

The original two week suspension was set to cost the aviation sector alone around 2.25 billion Egyptian pounds.

Egypt relies heavily on foreign tourism as a source of income, with over 900,000 tourists from around the world visiting Egypt in February alone, according to Al-Ahram Weekly.

However, the number of coronavirus cases is continuing to rise, with around 495 confirmed cases and 24 fatalities in Egypt, and over 430,000 cases worldwide.

The flight suspension is one of the measures imposed by the Egyptian government to attempt to contain the spread of the virus in Egypt. These measures include the suspension of schools and universities, as well as a nationwide curfew from 7 pm to 6 am. Only healthcare staff and journalists are exempt from the 4000 LE fine set for those who violate the curfew. Mosques and churches, non-essential commercial shops, and entertainment centers such as cinemas, theatres, and shopping malls have also been closed down.

Hotels, resorts, museums, and touristic sites and cruises have already been vacated and disinfected, and their employees were given tests to ensure that they do not carry the virus.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Khaled El Anany, said that they will take advantage of the flight suspension period to "clean house from the inside out". This will include online training for everyone working in tourism, to enhance the quality of the services provided by the tourism sector.