Capt. Sameh El Hefny
President
Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority
Capt. Sameh El Hefny is the current President of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority, and former Chairman of Egyptair Holding Company. Capt. El Hefny holds a PhD in Aviation Crisis Management, and two Master’s degrees, one specialized in Aviation and Aerospace from Toulouse Business School, and another specialized in Public Administration. Capt. El Hefny has a diversified wealth of experience in the Aviation Industry that spans over 30 years, ranging from being a Pilot in Command/Examiner over several aircrafts (such as B747 & A340), to holding several high-level managerial positions within the Civil Aviation Sector, including Chairing the Egyptian Aviation Academy.
During his career, Capt. El Hefny held a number of administrative and technical positions within EgyptAir Holding Company and its subsidiaries, including but not restricted to, VP of Aviation Training GM at EgyptAir Airlines (Flight Operations Sector), then, GM of EgyptAir Airlines (Chairman Bureau). He also held GM of Aviation Training (Flight Training Center), and followed by VP of EgyptAir Training Center. Furthermore, Capt. El Hefny led and was involved in various significant strategic committees during a transitional and critical period of EgyptAir’s business path including the famous Star Alliance joining and many other notable feats.
Capt. El Hefny was elected to be a member of IATA Board of Governors and the Nominating Committee in 2014.
With regard to the regulatory aspect of the industry, Capt. El Hefny held the highest posts in the regulatory world of Egyptian aviation, such as VP of Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), and later on, Chairman and President of ECAA. Following his tenure at the ECAA, Capt. El Hefny was appointed to Chairman of the Egyptian Aviation Academy due to his strong managerial skills and diversified wealth of experience in the field.
Academically, Capt. El Hefny holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the Arab Academy for Science & Technology, and another MBA in Aviation Industry and Aerospace from the prestigious Toulouse University in France. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD in Aviation Crisis Management.
Internationally, Capt. El Hefny has succeeded in obtaining a strong presence, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region due to his occupation of a multitude of leading roles in conferences and panels, such as Chief of the Regional Group of Aviation Safety in the Middle East, and member of the Superior Panel of Aviation Safety Level in the Middle East. Capt. El Hefny was also elected Chairperson of the RASG-MID conference in 2011, and member of the TLST-MID conference as well. He is also EgyptAir’s representative in the ICAO Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Born in Cairo; on June 7th, 1966, Capt. Sameh El Hefny is a graduate of Business Administration from Ain Shams University in Cairo, and of the Egyptian Aviation Academy. Capt. El Hefny is passionate about continuous learning, and self-development, especially in his field of work. Personally, he is married with a son.