Egypt to receive first round-world solar flight in July

A Swiss-made solar-powered aircraft is scheduled to arrive in Cairo in July, within a five-month journey of 35,000 km (22,000 miles) around the world meant to draw world attention to the importance of sustainable energy.

"Solar Impulse 2" took off from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in September 2015.

With its wings stretched wide to catch the sun's energy, the flight aims to mobilize public enthusiasm in favor of technologies that will allow decreased dependence on fossil fuels, and induce positive emotions about renewable energies.

"The adventure showing clean technologies can change the world. If an airplane can fly day and night without fuel, everybody could use these same technologies on the ground to halve our world’s energy consumption, save natural resources and improve our quality of life," the flight's official website reported.

For his part, Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister Hosam Kamal said that the country is ready to provide all facilities and logistical support for the world-class event's staff during their stay in the country.

He expressed hope that the flight would be able to promote tourist movement to Egypt.

Kamal also underlined the Civil Aviation Ministry's keenness to keep up with new developments in the air transport industry, especially issues concerning the protection of the environment by switching to use renewable and clean energies.

The event comes in line with the signing of a contract to build Egypt's first environmentally friendly airport in Alexandria's Borg Al Arab, he added.

The minister on Monday received Swiss Ambassador in Cairo Markus Leitner to discuss aspects of joint cooperation between the two countries and ways to increase inbound tourist traffic from Switzerland to the tourist airports in Egypt.

Source: MENA