EgyptAir and the Irish authorities have agreed to operate direct flights between Cairo and Dublin, Egypt's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The first-ever direct flights between the two capitals will start on 5 June, with four flights a week.

The Egyptian embassy in Dublin has worked for years in coordination with national carrier EgyptAir and Irish authorities to launch this route, Egypt's ambassador to Ireland Khaled Tharwat said, according to a statement by the ministry.

The new route is expected to "boost Irish tourism to Egypt and enhance trade and investment cooperation between the two countries."

The ambassador expects there will be high demand on the new route in both directions, given that Cairo is an international aviation hub for African and Middle Eastern countries.