The first EgyptAir flight arrived at Cairo Airport on Saturday coming from Tokyo’s Narita airport.
The direct flight – carrying 147 passengers – is the first after a three-year hiatus over the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic.
Japanese Ambassador to Egypt Oka Hiroshi, his wife and EgyptAir Deputy Chairman Mohamed Alian welcomed the passengers.
The plane was welcomed by a water salute and EgyptAir distributed gifts among passengers marking the occasion.
On Thursday, a flight left from Cairo Airport to Narita Airport. Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Abbas Helmy and Ambassador Hiroshi saw off the flight.
Helmy said that this promotes economic, investment and trade relations and will help boost tourism in Egypt, especially as the Grand Egyptian Museum will be inaugurated soon.
Helmy noted that Egypt and Japan collaborated to build the first eco-friendly terminal which will be inaugurated in Alexandria’s Borg El Arab airport in the beginning of 2024.
For his part, the Japanese ambassador expressed happiness for re-operating the direct flights.
He noted that the Egyptian national carrier will operate one flight each week between Cairo and Tokyo. As of early November two weekly flights will be operated from Cairo on the same route on Thursdays and Saturdays with the return flights to be on Fridays and Sundays, he added.
