Egypt's National Air Navigation Services company signed a deal Sunday with two Russian aviation equipment companies for a project to develop air navigation systems, the Egyptian civil aviation ministry said in a statement.
Egypt's civil aviation minister Hossam Kamal said the deal with Russian companies Azimut and Lianozovo Electromechanical Plant represents an important step as air navigation is developing rapidly in traffic control and radar systems amid increased traffic congestion in many parts of the world.
"The plant's role was stipulated to cover supplying radar complexes and installing air traffic control systems of various designations in National Air Navigation Services Company and civil aviation ministry facilities," Russian news agency Sputnik reported, citing a Russian-Egyptian inter-governmental commission which held a meeting earlier in February.
Kamal said the project aims at improving navigation systems by using airspace more efficiently, as well as modernising the infrastructure of the Egyptian airspace program through developing more precise radar coverage in addition to restructuring air route networks.
The aviation sector in Egypt contributes over $2 billion, which is 1.2 percent of the GDP, and provides more than 197,000 jobs.
Head of the Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation Ismail Abul-Ezz said the air navigation development plan costs a total of $300 million, and comes simultaneously with the development of airports to accommodate the expected increase in air traffic.
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