Pe@rson From United Kingdom (England), joined Jan 2001, 16741 posts, RR: 59 Posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 628 times:
AirArabia currently flies from its Sharjah base to 4 Egyptian destinations: Alexandria (2x daily); Assuit (2x weekly); Luxor (2x weekly); and Sharm El-Shiekh (2x weekly). It uses the A320 on all of these (and all of its non-Egyptian) flights.
A gaping hole in AirArabia’s Egyptian network is Cairo. The capital is very conspicuously absent from AirArabia’s destination portfolio. However, this was not always so: it did, indeed, serve Cairo, but it ended. I have a few questions about the cessation of its Sharjah-Cairo flights:
1) What was the frequency (I think it was something like 3, 4 or 5 times weekly – so quite uncompetitive);
2) What were the days of operation?
3) What were the times, both to and from Cairo?
4) What was the reason it finished?
5) I can imagine – just imagine – that Sharjah-Cairo-Sharjah would be rather lucrative. So, I suppose the question is not if AirArabia will resume service to Cairo, but when will it? I guess – just guess – that the answer to this question depends upon whether it can secure workable frequencies in the very restrictive market which will enable it to effectively compete against other airlines, e.g. Egyptair to and from Sharjah, and Emirates, Singapore and Egyptair to and from Dubai. Is this likely?
6) When did it end?
7) As AirArabia now flies 2x daily from Sharjah to Alexandria to Sharjah, do many Cairenes travel to Egypt’s second-largest city to take advantage of these flights?
I have a few questions not regarding Cairo:
1) Is it probable that its frequencies to its 4 Egyptian destinations will be increased in time?
2) Bar Cairo, is it likely that any other Egyptian destination will be served?
3) How is the demand and yield on all of AirArabia’s routes to and from Egypt?
MSYYZ From Canada, joined Oct 2005, 733 posts, RR: 13 Reply 1, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 583 times:
Hi Pe@rson , as far as i know Air Arabia never served Cairo . They were supposed to start operation this summer pending approval by the Egyptian Authorities ( which they never got ) and IIRC they even advertised this service hoping they will get the permit .
The Egyptian civil Aviation Authorities are very generous in granting Airlines access to Egyptian Airports other than Cairo .
Quoting Pe@rson (Thread starter): As AirArabia now flies 2x daily from Sharjah to Alexandria to Sharjah, do many Cairenes travel to Egypt’s second-largest city to take advantage of these flights?
Alexandria is about 220 km north west of Cairo , that means about 2 hours by car or train . If you add traffic time within the 2 cities you may end up with about 3-3.5 hours of total time almost equaling the flying time , having said that i heard that Air Arabia offers very competitive rates which may entice some people to take the long way to Sharjah .
Pe@rson From United Kingdom (England), joined Jan 2001, 16741 posts, RR: 59 Reply 2, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 554 times:
Hey!
How’s it going?
Why it is almost always you, me and Horus who discusses Egyptian aviation?
I’m 98% sure AirArabia once served Cairo.
I haven't heard about their application to serve Cairo this summer. I am not surprised, though, that it was turned down - as annoying as that is.
Quoting MSYYZ (Reply 1): The Egyptian civil Aviation Authorities are very generous in granting Airlines access to Egyptian Airports other than Cairo .
So it seems. And that's very unfortunate.
Quoting MSYYZ (Reply 1): Alexandria is about 220 km north west of Cairo , that means about 2 hours by car or train . If you add traffic time within the 2 cities you may end up with about 3-3.5 hours of total time almost equaling the flying time
Very true. Alexandria (where Horus is from) is a nice seaside city. The first time I went there, though, was during a sandstorm. LOL. But despite the distance, cost of getting there and back, and the inconvenience, if AirArabia's fares are far less than from CAI - which they might well be - then it would perhaps entice sufficient numbers of people.
Pe@rson From United Kingdom (England), joined Jan 2001, 16741 posts, RR: 59 Reply 3, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 541 times:
It looks as though I might have dreamed-up Cairo: it says that "Future destinations in 2006 include Pakistan, more destinations in Southern India, and Cairo." But I could have sworn I saw it, a year or two ago, on its website. Hmm. Anyway, it probably hasn't/won't get permission to fly the route.
The SSH flights routed Sharjah-Aqaba-Sharm El Sheikh-Sharjah but I've just checked G9's website and they don't show Aqaba on their flight schedule anymore and you can't book it either. Have they cancelled Aqaba flights? I guess Sharm El Sheikh is now non-stop in both directions.
Quoting Pe@rson (Thread starter): A gaping hole in AirArabia's Egyptian network is Cairo. The capital is very conspicuously absent from AirArabia's destination portfolio.
Egyptian authorities are very strict about LCCs serving CAI on a route directly competing with Egyptair. Jazeera Airways (of Kuwait) is having the same problem at the moment. The only LCCs at CAI are Hapagfly from MUC (and STR in the winter) and TUI Belgium/Jetairfly from BRU.
Quoting Pe@rson (Thread starter): However, this was not always so: it did, indeed, serve Cairo, but it ended. I have a few questions about the cessation of its Sharjah-Cairo flights:
Air Arabia never operated to Cairo despite it being an important destination.
The airline came 'close' to launching flights on April 27th 2004. They even loaded up the flight details on their reservation system and began selling tickets before they got the go ahead from the relevant Egyptian authorities. Of course without the approval of the authorities the flights never took off and and irony was that they routed all the passengers who bought tickets onto Egyptair's CAI-SHJ service.
They planned 2x weekly flights with the following schedule:
SHJ CAI G949 -2----7 22:05/01:05+1 0 A320
CAI SHJ G950 1-3---- 00:50/06:20 0 A320
Quoting Pe@rson (Thread starter):
1) Is it probable that its frequencies to its 4 Egyptian destinations will be increased in time?
Well the Egyptian authorities have implemented an open sky policy at all airports in Egypt (except Cairo), so airlines are free to increase/add new services to any airports without the bilateral agreement between that airline's country and Egypt being rectified. So I guess it all depends on demand and whether G9 has the capacity to increase flights.
Remember ALY is their most frequently served G9 destination with a double daily service.
I can see LXR being the next destination to get more flights. Perhaps an extra 2-3x weekly flights to match QR's flights from DOH and newcomer, Jazeera Airways flights from KWI.
Quoting Pe@rson (Thread starter): 2) Bar Cairo, is it likely that any other Egyptian destination will be served?
With the exception of Aswan (ASW), I can't see any other destinations.
Quoting Pe@rson (Thread starter): 3) How is the demand and yield on all of AirArabia's routes to and from Egypt?
ALY is 10x weekly in the winter and 14x weekly in the summer and has been their most profitable route since operations began to the city. This may change this year as flights to 'lucrative' India have started, so we'll have to wait and see the official news from the airline.
Judging by the fact SSH was kept and Aqaba was cancelled (both Red Sea resorts) I'd say it's safe to assume Sharm is doing well.
LXR and ASW flights soly cater for the demand by Egyptian workers (from Southern Egypt) travelling to/from the Gulf region.
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 2): Why it is almost always you, me and Horus who discusses Egyptian aviation?
Great minds think alike...
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 2): I'm 98% sure AirArabia once served Cairo.
....
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 3): It looks as though I might have dreamed-up Cairo
Even though it's tempting to rub your nose in it, I'll let it go this time
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 2): Quoting MSYYZ (Reply 1):
The Egyptian civil Aviation Authorities are very generous in granting Airlines access to Egyptian Airports other than Cairo .
So it seems. And that's very unfortunate.
It stems from the fact that a) CAI is handling more passengers than it was designed for (i.e. overcrowded) and b) the government's protection of Egyptair. With CAI T3 opening soon, Egyptair being partly privatised and the authorities' more liberal approach to access into other Egyptian airports things are bound to change.
Pe@rson From United Kingdom (England), joined Jan 2001, 16741 posts, RR: 59 Reply 5, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 501 times:
Thanks, Horus.
I was half right about CAI though: it was on its website, its reservation system, etc.
I was half right about CAI though: it was on its website, its reservation system, etc. Wink
Scrapping the bottom of the barrel there, aren't ya?
Last summer Egyptair had 3x weekly flights on the CAI-SHJ route; 2 on the A332 that continued onto BOM and 1 A320 terminator service (summer only). They also had a weekly ALY-SHJ-ALY A320 flight. This summer CAI-SHJ services have gone up to 5x weekly A320 terminator services but ALY-SHJ has been cancelled (no surprise. 1x weekly flight can't compete against 14x weekly flights).
CaptinTuT From United States, joined May 2005, 324 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 1 day ago) and read 430 times:
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 2): Why it is almost always you, me and Horus who discusses Egyptian aviation?
I'm also there but just alawys busy , like Hours and MSYYZ knows that sometimes i appear daily and sometimes i disappear for a while but i'm there hopefully for the next couple of days
Quoting MSYYZ (Reply 1): having said that i heard that Air Arabia offers very competitive rates which may entice some people to take the long way to Sharjah
well sometimes rates reall makes you go a distance, for example when i used to live in Colorado springs which is about 70 Mi south Denver i used to take most of my flights out of Denver which is about 1:30 - 2:00 hours from my house, for 2 reasons more convineant and much cheaper
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 2): I’m 98% sure AirArabia once served Cairo.
i will agree withwhat Both MSYYZ and Hours agreed on that AirArabia never served CAI.
Quoting MSYYZ (Reply 1): The Egyptian civil Aviation Authorities are very generous in granting Airlines access to Egyptian Airports other than Cairo .
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 2): So it seems. And that's very unfortunate.
well CAI is Egypt wild card, if you want to gurantee yourself more destination and more rights in other country you better play smart.
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From United Kingdom (England), joined Jan 2001, 16741 posts, 
From Canada, joined Oct 2005, 733 posts, 
From Egypt, joined Feb 2004, 5230 posts, 
From United States, joined May 2005, 324 posts, 
, like Hours and MSYYZ knows that sometimes i appear daily and sometimes i disappear for a while but i'm there hopefully for the next couple of days 
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