Mayfair Jets inks deal with Egypt’s AlMasria for Europe ops

Aircraft broker Mayfair Jets has signed an agreement with Egyptian regional carrier AlMasria Universal Airlines (UJ, Cairo International) to operate charters between Hurghada and Europe from July onwards as the UAE-based company continues efforts to expand its European footprint.

“We are doing a charter operation for tourists,” Mayfair Jets co-founder and commercial director
Mohamed Hamed told ch-aviation in an exclusive interview.

Mayfair Jets functions as a consolidator, Hamed said, adding that the company has offices across the
region, including in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, as well as in Germany, Italy, and Spain.

The Dubai-based company was founded in 2020. Its portfolio includes commercial and private jet
charters, bespoke cargo operations, and medical evacuation flights. While it does not have its own
aircraft, its passenger charters use Challenger 650s, Legacy 650s, A320 family units, A330s, B737-
400s, and B787s, while cargo flights are handled by B767Fs.

Under the terms of the agreement it has now forged with AlMasria, Mayfair Jets will market the Egyptian carrier in Europe.

“They have not flown to Europe for many years,” Hamed explained. “So, as of July, we decided that we will have a marketing agreement, with additional aircraft due to join operation as flights increase.”

The agreement will see AlMasria start with flights between Hurghada and Germany on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from the beginning of July, rising to eight weekly services by the end of September.

The five-year contract will ultimately link Hurghada with Hannover, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Vienna, Basel/Mulhouse/Freiburg, CH, and Zurich, he added.

Adding capacity

The deal is expected to boost fleet growth at AlMasria, Hamed said. The carrier plans to bring in additional A321s, three of which may be inducted by the beginning of the 2027 summer season.

AlMasria will initially deploy two of its A321-200s for the 2026 charters, with SU-TCL (msn 5767) and SU-TCM (msn 5774) having been selected for the contract. Owned and managed by BOC Aviation, the jets are 12.8 and 12.7 years old, respectively, and configured with 220 seats in single-cabin layouts. Both are equipped with International Aero Engines V2500 engines.

The airline currently operates eight aircraft, namely two A320-200s, four A321-200s, and two B737-400s. As ch-aviation previously reported, the airline’s two most recent A321 acquisitions are SU-TCP (msn 1004) and SU-TCN (msn 1629), which joined the fleet in February 2025.

It previously said it hoped to lease further A320s amid plans to increase flights between Egypt and other Arab states. According to ch-aviation data, its only current scheduled operation is between Cairo International and Jeddah International, with charter operations accounting for the rest of its operations.

Growing partnerships

The AlMasria initiative comes shortly after Mayfair chartered a B737-400 from ACMI/charter specialist Air Mediterranean (MV, Athens) in a separate agreement to boost its operational capabilities and expand its network between Egypt and Europe.

The aircraft, SX-MAT (msn 28831), arrived at Sharm el Sheikh on May 7, 2026, and carried out its first revenue flights to Budapest two days later, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. Along with services to the Hungarian capital, it is currently also operating charters from Sharm el Sheikh to Palermo International.

The contract will run for four years, Hamed said. The company plans to add services to Tirana “and many other destinations”, he added.

Mayfair Jets has also signed a collaboration agreement with Pyramids Airlines (PYR) to operate domestic flights in Egypt, starting in June. “Both teams are already actively exploring additional opportunities to expand the partnership further,” Hamed told ch-aviation.

Regional tensions

While tensions in the Middle East continue to hamper scheduled airline operations, Hamed said the outlook for charter operations is currently mixed.

“It’s not bad, but it’s also not good,” he said.

He pointed out that many operators have cancelled services to Sharm el Sheikh, with AlMasria currently the only operator due to serve Palermo from there.

“So we are fine,” Hamed said. He noted, however, that demand is lower than it should be, largely as a result of high jet fuel prices, along with inflationary pressures on airfares.

“If you travel with your wife and two kids, you will pay USD10,000,” he said, adding that the cost will deter most travellers. Fuel surcharges are also affecting ticket sales, he added.

Based on what happened during the pandemic as well as during the 2011 revolution in Egypt, demand will be strong only during the IATA northern summer season, he explained.

“You will not find a tour operator or a company who can run the operation from March to October,” he said. “It will be impossible.”

Hamed noted that rising prices are a critical factor. “Inflation is hurting the industry,” he said.

He added, however, that AlMasria is a “lucky airline” as it owns its fleet. “They are not dry-or wet-leasing,” he said. “The owner has always bought the aircraft and he doesn’t have big overheads.”

The carrier has also benefitted from strong connections to Russia, he said, adding that it is the largest Egyptian carrier serving that market in terms of capacity. “We have 54 flights a week with an average capacity of 200 seats per flight,” he said. “That means 10,800 passengers every week.”