Egypt received nearly 19 million tourists in 2025 and has set a target of receiving 30 million annually by 2030, creating a clear need for additional air capacity. The country is already investing in infrastructure, with a fourth terminal planned for Cairo International Airport that will increase annual capacity to 70 million passengers, while Sphinx International Airport recently completed a modernization.
Egyptian airlines are planning significant fleet expansions. Egypt Air intends to reach 125 aircraft, adding 34 aircraft and doubling the number of passengers. Air Cairo, its subsidiary, plans to expand from 42 to 82 aircraft over the next four years. However, decisions on permanent fleets are made years in advance, while passenger demand can change within the same season.
The wet leasing system, known as ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance), offers a solution to this gap. Justinas Bulka, CEO of KlasJet, an ACMI and charter operator of the Avia Solutions Group, explains that this flexibility allows airlines to respond to seasonal peaks, launch new routes or fill capacity gaps when there are delays in the delivery of permanent aircraft. KlasJet demonstrated this model through cooperation with Air Cairo in 2025, having placed an aircraft in Cairo in just three days after signing the agreement.
According to Bulka, the combination of a permanent fleet with ACMI contracts can increase an airline's overall profitability by around two to three percent. KlasJet is part of the Avia Solutions Group, the world's largest ACMI provider, with a fleet of 107 aircraft. Egyptian fleet expansion plans face challenges, as production restrictions and supply chain constraints continue to affect major aircraft manufacturers, which together have an estimated order backlog of 12 years.
