Will new Red Sea airport spark development on Egypt-Sudan border?

With the opening of a new international airport in the Red Sea, residents of the disputed Halayeb and Shalateen region are hoping the government will step up development efforts.
This picture shows a view of Aswan from the Old Cataract Hotel overlooking the Nile River in the southern city of Aswan, Egypt, Jan. 3, 2021.
This picture shows a view of Aswan from the Old Cataract Hotel overlooking the Nile River in the southern city of Aswan, Egypt, Jan. 3, 2021. - Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images
Mohammed Magdy Headshot
Mohammed Magdy
@DMagdy92

CAIRO — For the first time since its inauguration in January 2020, the Red Sea’s Berenice International Airport received the first passenger aircraft June 7. With 60 passengers on board, the flight was welcomed with a water salute, a universal welcoming ritual involving spraying water over the first airplane that lands at a new airport.

According to Egypt’s Aviation Ministry, the airport aims to boost inbound tourism given that the area is rich in tourist attractions and has a unique coastline. 

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