EgyptAir has landed its first Boeing 737-8 Max

EgyptAir’s first 737 Max lands in Cairo

EgyptAir received its first Boeing 737-8 Max, kicking off an 18-aircraft strategic lease agreement with SMBC Aviation Capital, according to a statement from the flag carrier. EgyptAir says the new jets will cut fuel use and emissions by 20% compared to their predecessors and will serve short- and medium-haul routes, including Paris, Brussels, Istanbul, and Vienna.

It looks like the airline is also about to get a new Airbus A350-900, which AeroSignals said yesterday afternoon was on its way from Toulouse-Blagnac to Cairo.

The delivery is part of EgyptAir’s broader fleet modernization push: The carrier said in February it would add 12 aircraft this year, part of a wider push to integrate 34 new Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 737-8 Max jets into its fleet by 2031.

New shipping services hit Saudi ports

Jeddah Islamic Port and King Abdullah Port are now connected to major European hubs like Gdańsk and Antwerp, thanks to the addition of MSC’s shipping service Middle East Express, the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) stated. The service, which has a 16k-TEU handling capacity, also integrates a land transport link from King Abdullah Port to King Abdulaziz Port.

Jeddah Islamic Port also saw the addition of a new service by CMA CGM, Ocean Rise, which will connect the port to nine ports across Western Europe and Far East Asia. The service offers a capacity of around 3k TEUs.