Smart Aviation Company is a corporate airline operator based in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

. The company launched operations during the second quarter of 2007 from its base in Cairo International Airport. The company is the first corporate jet operator in the country to cater to businessmen, politicians, executive air travelers and medical services. In 2009, it expanded its business portfolio to cover medical evacuation in the form of air ambulance operations and in December 2010 will launch commercial passenger operations.

History

Smart Aviation Company launched operations on 3 May 2007 with a single 10-seater

Cessna Citation Sovereign The Cessna Citation Sovereign (Model 680) is an American business jet developed by Cessna, part of the Cessna Citation family. Announced at the 1998 NBAA convention, the Model 680 made its maiden flight in February 2002, certification was award ...

jet aircraft. Smart Aviation is a member of Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA)

Ownership

Smart Aviation Company has 6 stakeholders: * Civil Aviation Developing and Supporting Fund 40% * Egyptair Holding Company 10% * Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Navigation (EHCAAN) 10% * Holding Financing Company of Civil Aviation 5% * National Company for Navigation Services 5% * National Investment Bank 30%

Operations

The airline provides clients with the facilities (aircraft and ground services) for corporate, VIP and personal travel from Egypt with a new fleet of

Cessna Citation The Cessna Citation is a family of business jets by Cessna that started in 1972 with the entry into service of the first model. In the fifty years following the 1969 first flight, more than 7,500 Citations were delivered, forming the largest b ...

Sovereign C-680 aircraft. At Cairo International Airport they currently operate out of the VIP terminal (Terminal 1 – Hall 4); however, in late 2010 the company opened its new executive FBO next to Hall 4.Arabian Aerospace
/ref> Services are offered for both domestic and international travel. In 2009, Smart Aviation received the first two

certified for medical evacuation (medevac) with a dual-patient system from LifePort. The two medevac Sovereigns are part of the original 5-aircraft order. The medevac (air ambulance) mission will be in addition to Smart's regular VIP charter service. In 2010, the company announced plans to begin commercial passenger operations. The company maintains its fleet inside its 4,000-square-metre hangar which should incorporate the business jets and the new Bombardier turboprops. In April 2010, the airline revealed plans to launch a new subsidiary dedicated to commercial scheduled and charter passenger services to complement its existing corporate service business. In July 2010 the company selected the Bombardier Q400 over the

ATR 72-500 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR (french: Avions de transport régional or it, Aerei da Trasporto Regionale), a joint venture formed ...

after evaluating both sixty- to seventy-seater aircraft. The company ordered 5 aircraft (2 firm and 3 options) in August 2010. The first 2 aircraft have been delivered in late 2010. The aircraft based at Cairo International Airport and then fly to a day-base like

Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport Sharm El Sheikh International Airport ( ar, مطار شرم الشيخ الدولي ''Maṭār Sharm El Sheikh El Dawli'') is an international airport located in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. It is the third-busiest airport in Egypt after Cairo Interna ...

or Aswan Airport and operate flights from there to key domestic and regional destinations not currently served by other airlines. On December 15, 2014 Cessna Citation 680 belonging to Smart Aviation landed in Malmö, Sweden carrying 10 asylum seekers from Beirut, Lebanon. Two crew members aged 59 and 56 were arrested on suspicion of organizing human smuggling

As of early 2015, smart Aviation leased their two Q400s to Bangladesh Airlines for five years. The flight crews were provided for six months—then were terminated / laid off. No plans to continue with the Q400 from lack of marketing and operation expansion.http://www.bombardier.com/en/media/newsList/details.biman-bangladeshairlinesacquirestwobombardierq400nextgenturbopro.bombardiercom.html

Services

* Business jets * Air ambulance * Flight inspections * Domestic and regional economic fights * Full ground handling service (FBO services)

Fleet

, the Smart Aviation fleet consists of the following aircraft:

References

{{Airlines of Egypt Airlines of Egypt Airlines established in 2007 Companies based in Cairo Egyptian companies established in 2007