Cairo airport to partly close to save energy

CAIRO - Cairo International Airport will shut off part of some unnecessary runways for four hours daily in summer to save energy, Egypt's civil aviation minister said Saturday.

"Only one runaway is available in the new Cairo International Airport to receive coming flights within the four hours," official news agency MENA quoted Wael al-Maaddawi as saying.

The decision will take effect from the beginning of July and all airline companies will be notified 90 days in advance, al- Maaddawi said, adding that the decision was made after a detailed study on air traffic rate which witnessed a notable decline.

The partial closure will not affect air traffic due to the large decline of flights that made runways open without being used, he said, noting the expenses of receiving flights over the past two years were five times the fees garnered by the airport.

"We are about to face an energy crisis in the summer and all state sectors have to work on reducing its impacts," he said.

Last summer, frequent power outage enraged Egyptians and led to protests with lit candles against the government's performance to solve the problem.

Egypt is currently suffering a big financial hardship that led to a sharp decline of foreign currency reserve and an alarming increase of budget deficit as a result of two years of political turmoil following the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

The ailing economy affected all sectors in the country, including tourism, investment and industry, and caused fuel and power shortages that are expected to multiply during summer.