Air Sphinx is a subsidiary of the country’s national carrier EgyptAir.

Air Sphinx flights, which are scheduled to start operating in winter 2022/2023, will be serviceable at Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, Luxor, Sphinx and Cairo, according to a cabinet statement issued early July.

Monday’s meeting saw agreement between the two ministries on a number of issues, including the number of modern, low-emission aircraft that the airline will operate, which will increase based on the results and experience of the first stage.

Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Abbas noted in a separate meeting a day earlier with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly that the ministry has concluded a contract to obtain several medium-range aircraft from an international leasing company, adding that they will arrive shortly, according to a cabinet statement.

The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa said on Monday that the two ministries’ efforts are integrated, asserting the importance of aviation in linking Egyptian cities and tourist destinations with each other.

He affirmed the importance of several joint initiatives between the two ministries, including low-cost aviation, highlighting its role in opening new tourism destinations and significantly increasing the number of tourists to Egypt from around the world.

Air Sphinx plans to operate both domestic and international flights, aiming to provide tickets at competitive prices for more affordable travel opportunities.

Egypt, which counts on tourism revenues as a vital source of foreign currency, has announced plans to explore alternative tourism markets in light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which began in February.

The war has dealt Egypt’s tourism sector a heavy blow with both Russian and Ukrainian markets being among the largest markets for tourism to Red Sea areas in Egypt.

The tourism sector in Egypt was also affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with the number of tourists reportedly dropping to 3.7 million in 2020 from 13 million in 2019; the sector has partially recovered from this impact, with the number of tourists rising to 8.2 million in the first nine months of the FY2021/22, according to Central Bank of Egypt's (CBE) data.