Speakers

Captain Dr. Sameh Ahmed Zaki El Hefny serves as Egypt’s Minister of Civil Aviation, bringing more than three decades of leadership and operational experience across civil aviation, airline management, regulatory oversight, and aviation safety.

A highly accomplished aviation professional, he holds a PhD in Civil Aviation Crisis Management from Port Said University, an MBA in Airport and Airline Management from Toulouse University, France, a Master of Public Administration from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, a Bachelor of Commerce from Ain Shams University, and a Bachelor of Aviation Sciences from the National Aviation Training Institute.

Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. El Hefny has held several senior leadership positions within Egypt’s aviation sector, including Permanent Representative of Egypt to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Chairman of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), Chairman and CEO of EgyptAir Holding Company, and Chairman of the Egyptian Aviation Academy. He has also served in numerous executive and technical leadership roles within EgyptAir and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Internationally, Dr. El Hefny has represented Egypt on a number of prominent aviation bodies, including the executive boards of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Star Alliance, the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), and the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO). He also chaired ICAO’s Regional Aviation Safety Group for the Middle East (RASG-MID), contributing significantly to regional aviation safety and regulatory cooperation.

In addition to his executive leadership credentials, Dr. El Hefny is an accomplished commercial pilot, certified as a Captain, Instructor, and Examiner on multiple aircraft types, including the Airbus A330/A340, Airbus A320 family, Airbus A300 series, Boeing 737, and Boeing 747.

His extensive expertise spans aviation strategy, regulatory affairs, airline operations, airport management, aviation safety, training, and international aviation cooperation, making him one of the region’s most respected leaders in civil aviation.