The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has urged EgyptAir to replace the older aircraft currently deployed on its Nigerian routes with newer-generation planes, saying fleet modernisation is necessary to improve passenger experience, operational efficiency and the airline’s competitiveness in the Nigerian market.

Keyamo made the call during a bilateral meeting with Egypt’s Minister of Civil Aviation, Sameh El-Hefny, on the sidelines of the El-Alamein International Airshow 2026 in Egypt.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, Tunde Moshood.

According to the statement, Keyamo used the meeting to press for a stronger and more modern EgyptAir fleet on Nigerian routes as both countries explored ways of deepening aviation cooperation and improving air connectivity.

“The Minister also used the engagement to emphasise the need for a stronger and more modern fleet deployment by EgyptAir on its Nigerian routes,” the statement said.

It added: “He urged the management of EgyptAir to move away from the continued deployment of ageing aircraft and prioritise the introduction of newer-generation aircraft into the Nigerian market, noting that fleet modernisation is essential to improving passenger experience, operational efficiency and the competitiveness of the airline.”

Beyond the question of aircraft deployment, Keyamo stressed the strategic importance of aviation relations between Nigeria and Egypt and reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to pursue international partnerships capable of improving connectivity, stimulating tourism and trade, supporting airline growth and delivering better value to passengers.

The talks also focused on wider cooperation between the aviation authorities and industry stakeholders of both countries, including opportunities under the Single African Air Transport Market, SAATM.

SAATM is designed to promote greater liberalisation of air transport across Africa and improve seamless connectivity between participating countries.

The Nigerian delegation expressed readiness to work with Egypt’s Ministry of Civil Aviation to identify mutually beneficial areas of cooperation under the framework.

Responding, El-Hefny welcomed the engagement and reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to strengthening aviation ties with Nigeria.

He also called for closer collaboration between the African Civil Aviation Commission, AFCAC, and the League of Arab Civil Aviation, LACA, arguing that stronger institutional cooperation could foster greater partnerships between African and Arab states.

The discussions are expected to deepen institutional and industry-level cooperation between Nigeria and Egypt as both countries seek to expand their aviation links.

Keyamo’s intervention comes as EgyptAir continues a broader fleet-renewal programme. The airline took delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 in February 2026 as part of efforts to modernise its long-haul operations and gradually replace older aircraft.

The airline has also expanded its capacity across Africa. According to figures cited in the report, EgyptAir ranked third among African airlines by scheduled seat capacity in September 2026, with 890,773 seats, representing a 6.7 per cent increase from 834,956 seats recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Nigeria’s aviation market has similarly recorded significant capacity growth.

OAG data cited in the report showed that scheduled airline capacity in Nigeria rose by 37.4 per cent year-on-year in September 2026 to 1.19 million seats, after the country added about 322,800 seats.

The growth made Nigeria the fastest-growing market by percentage among Africa’s 10 leading aviation markets during the period, according to the figures cited.

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