EGYPTAIR expands cargo footprint in Turkey, France

Over its first decade of partnership with Globe Air Cargo Turkey, EGYPTAIR has expanded its cargo operations in Turkey, evolving from a primarily belly-cargo carrier into one of the top 10 carriers serving the Turkish market.

Alongside its scheduled passenger services, Egypt’s national airline now operates two Airbus A330 freighter flights per week, strengthening its dedicated cargo capacity between Turkey and Egypt.

EGYPTAIR currently offers around 105 tonnes of weekly freight capacity on its scheduled services from Istanbul to Cairo, carrying a diverse range of commodities. The cargo mix includes pharmaceuticals, aerospace products, grains, pulses, seeds and general cargo, reflecting the growing trade flows between Türkiye and Egypt.

The expansion highlights EGYPTAIR’s growing role in supporting cargo connectivity between the two markets while strengthening its position within Turkey’s air freight sector.

Ersun Guven, Managing Director of Globe Air Cargo Turkey said, “There is a strong strategic connection between our two national markets, particularly as many Turkish manufacturers are located in Egypt, so load factors are high in both directions and demand continues to grow unabatedly.”

EGYPTAIR and Globe Air Cargo are expanding their partnership by focusing on flexible, customer-centric cargo solutions, including project and part-charter services.

What began with scheduled passenger flights between Cairo and Istanbul has grown into two weekly freighter services, with the potential to increase to four flights per week as market demand expands. Globe Air Cargo Turkey manages EGYPTAIR’s tendering, operational support, import sales, charter activities and commercial operations in Türkiye.

In France, Globe Air Cargo France has represented EGYPTAIR since 2010, marketing cargo capacity on the airline’s daily Boeing 787 service from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Cairo, as well as two to three weekly Airbus A300 freighter services from Ostend to Cairo.

The French GSSA is also positioning Cairo as a regional transshipment hub, connecting cargo to destinations including Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Johannesburg.

Cargo volumes from France have continued to grow, with EGYPTAIR handling more than 2,500 tonnes in 2024 and 2,670 tonnes in 2025. The operation is expected to achieve another year of growth in 2026, marking the third consecutive year of record cargo tonnage.

Franck Tordjman, Managing Director of Globe Air Cargo France stated that Globe Air Cargo identifies three key pillars for sustainable growth: building long-term customer relationships based on reliability and mutual understanding; strategically positioning specialised products such as pharmaceuticals, perishables and live animals; and increasing the use of online bookings, particularly for shipments below 300 kg. Greater digital booking adoption, it says, enables faster and more efficient flight optimisation through its in-house digital tools.

While, Jean Ceccaldi, Chief Executive Officer of ECS Group shared, “EGYPTAIR’s success in Turkey and France is testament to what a professional GSSA can deliver. The combination of local market expertise, innovative digital solutions, and a dedicated partnership that has developed and matured over time, will unfailingly result in positive growth.”