Ahram - EgyptAir announced on Sunday that it will operate a weekly flight on Saturday between Luxor and Madrid starting 20 November. It comes within the framework of instructions from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and in continuation of the national carrier’s strategy to link as many European cities with top-rated attractions in Egypt, with the aim of increasing tourism.

EgyptAir noted the Madrid flight will be operated by the Boeing 737-800NG with 154 seats, all of which include individual screens displaying entertainment programs.

Several airlines have resumed or increased their flights to Egyptian tourist destinations since the resumption of international flights in June last year after a three-month-suspension due to the pandemic.

In the first half of this year, Egypt received 3.5 million tourists who brought in revenues of between $3.5 and $4 billion, according to Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities figures.

In early November, Egypt’s Luxor International Airport received its first flight from Heathrow Airport, London, after a hiatus that lasted almost two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Egyptian carrier operated in late October its first domestic flight from Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport to Luxor International Airport after a six-year hiatus that began in December 2015.

Luxor is preparing for the reopening ceremony of the ancient Rams Road later in November after its restoration is completed. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has ordered the use of the planned reopening ceremony to promote the country's soft power internationally, stressing that Luxor – which has often been called the world's greatest open-air museum – reflects the richness and glory of Egypt's ancient civilization.