TPA approves disbursing charter flights incentive program payments

Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) head Hisham El Demery has signed off on disbursing payments to foreign charter airlines under the 2015 charter flights incentives program through to December 2016, TPA Deputy President Ahmed Hamdy said, Al Masry Al Youm reports. A second package of the payments for the January-March 2017 period will be reviewed soon and disbursed next September, Hamdy said. The Tourism Ministry is also considering extending the program for an additional year beyond its 31 October expiry date. The program offers payouts and fee exemptions to flights with 50-80% seat occupancy rates that bring in regular tours from the EU to Egyptian airports, including Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, Luxor, Taba, Marsa Matrouh, and Alamein.