Nigeria and Egypt discuss aviation cooperation and fleet modernization

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, met with Egypt’s Minister of Civil Aviation, Dr. Sameh El-Hefny, at the El-Alamein International Airshow (EIAS 2026) to discuss deepening bilateral aviation cooperation.

The discussions focused on enhancing air connectivity, strengthening technical capacity, and fostering collaboration between airlines, airports, and regulators. Keyamo emphasized the strategic importance of the relationship within the African aviation ecosystem and expressed Nigeria’s commitment to the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) to promote seamless intra-African connectivity.

A significant portion of the meeting involved a call for EgyptAir to modernize its fleet on Nigerian routes. Keyamo urged the airline to replace ageing aircraft with newer-generation models to improve passenger experience, operational efficiency, and overall competitiveness in the Nigerian market.