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Egypt’s Air Cairo has signed a firm order to acquire 15 new Airbus A320neo aircraft. This is an exciting chapter for the airline as it looks to introduce direct aircraft ownership. The airline has more than 45 aircraft today and offers a range of domestic, regional and international routes to and from Egypt.
The airline placed the order at the El Alamein International Airshow, being hosted at El Alamein International Airport (DBB) between October 8 to 10. For Air Cairo, it has gradually grown its fleet from seven aircraft just five years ago to 45 now, and plans to continue this momentum to 130 aircraft by 2034.
15 New Airbus A320neo For Air Cairo
Based in Cairo, the airline is partly owned by EgyptAir with a 60% shareholding, while 40% is owned by 360 Investments. The airline operates a robust network of scheduled flights across the Middle East and Europe, while also providing charter flights on behalf of tour operators. It maintains bases at Alexandria (ALY), Cairo International Airport (CAI), Sharm el Sheikh (SSH) and Hurghada International Airport (HRG).
With this latest order, it marks the next chapter in the airline’s history to progress towards owned aircraft, alongside its current leased fleet. The new planes will add greater operational flexibility and financial efficiency as the airline looks to scale up its operations. The new narrowbody jets will add additional capacity that is needed for the airline to continue growing its network and support the increasing interest in travel to Egypt. Chairman & CEO at Air Cairo, Hussein Sherif, explains:
“This agreement represents a natural next step in AIRCAIRO’s growth. Combining owned aircraft with our leased fleet gives us greater operational flexibility and financial efficiency as we scale up. The A320neo will provide the capacity needed to expand our network, serve the growing demand for travel to and from Egypt, and support the country’s aviation and tourism sectors in close partnership with Airbus.”
Flying Forward With Aircraft Ownership
When airlines take the step to move to owned aircraft, it indicates financial strength and that the airline has positive cash flow or good credit. Owned planes are valuable company assets, which allow the airline to have more control over customization and maintenance without the need for leasing company permission.
While some airlines do lease for lower upfront cost and flexibility when demand drops, it overall has a lower long-term cost if an aircraft is owned by the airline, and repayments are usually less than the rental lease fee. Airbus celebrated the order with Air Cairo and commented on it being a sign of confidence that the airline is committed to the A320neo for its next chapter in growth. Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business, explains:
“We are delighted that this first direct acquisition from AIRCAIRO reaffirms the airline’s confidence in the A320neo to power its next phase of growth. The A320neo provides AIRCAIRO with the efficiency and flexibility to scale up its network. This commitment highlights the strength of our partnership and AIRCAIRO’s confidence in the A320neo to expand connectivity between Egypt and key international destinations.”
For Air Cairo, its decision to purchase 15 new Airbus A320neo aircraft further cements the A320 as the world’s most popular single-aisle aircraft. Across its lifetime, it has achieved more than 20,000 orders worldwide. The A320 family offers around 20% lower fuel costs when compared to older-generation single-aisle aircraft, and has one of the widest single-aisle cabins in the sky.
Deep Dive Into Air Cairo Operations
Air Cairo has a fleet of 45 aircraft and flies to more than 60 destinations across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. It flies to more than 14 destinations in Egypt alone, while Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Saudi Arabia are its largest international markets by destinations served. The airline’s newest gateway is that of Baghdad International Airport (BGW), where the airline will commence nonstop flights four times weekly from Hurghada from December 21.
Being 60% majority-owned by EgyptAir, it has a codeshare agreement with the 
Star Alliance carrier, which has been in effect since October 2024. The airline has a sales cooperation agreement with SunExpress, which permits around 30 flights per week from Hurghada to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Air Cairo operates four different aircraft types: the A320-200, A320neo (the largest variant in its fleet), ATR 72-600, and Embraer 190.
