Airline profile · Middle East

Nesma Airlines

EgyptHybrid carrierSince 2008

NEIATA code

NMAICAO code

Nesma Airlines is a privately owned Egyptian airline headquartered in Cairo, flying scheduled and charter services within Egypt and to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Europe. Its website reports about 12 daily flights to more than 30 destinations in over 10 countries. Nesma Airlines is not in an airline alliance.

Direct connection available on ReservationHub

Founded: 2008
Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt
Country: Egypt
Main hubs: Cairo International Airport (CAI) · Ha'il International Airport (HAS), Saudi Arabia
Airline type: Hybrid carrier
Alliance: None
Ownership: Privately owned. The airline says it was founded by a Saudi company and was fully acquired by an Egyptian investor in March 2022.
Callsign: NESMA
Website: nesmaairlines.com

How travel agents book Nesma Airlines

GDS distribution

Nesma Airlines content is bookable through GDS channels: its travel agency ADM rules set debit charges for GDS misuse, such as invalid city pairs or late cancellations, and for un-ticketed GDS bookings. No GDS distribution agreement was verified for this profile.

NDC

No public NDC programme details verified at time of writing.

Direct channels

Nesma Airlines sells on nesmaairlines.com and runs an agent login and new agent registration for authorised resellers, as well as charter flight sales.

Notes for travel agents

Agents should review Nesma's published ADM rules before booking. They set fixed debits, such as USD 50 per passenger per sector for GDS misuse and USD 100 per passenger per sector for bookings left un-ticketed and uncancelled within 24 hours of departure.

On ReservationHub

Nesma Airlines is one of the direct airline connections listed on our integrations page, alongside GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport) and NDC content. Agencies get it in the SaaS platform; developers through the Travel API.

History of Nesma Airlines

Nesma Airlines was founded in 2008 as an investment by a Saudi company in Egypt's tourism market. After a period of preparation it began full operations in July 2010, flying scheduled and charter services from Egypt.

The airline expanded into Saudi Arabia in 2016, when Nesma Airlines Company Ltd received an air operator's licence from the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation for domestic and international services. That gave it a second base at Ha'il alongside its Egyptian operations, which also use Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada for leisure flying.

In March 2022 an Egyptian investor acquired the whole airline. The new owners set out to rebuild the company and grow the network, with the stated goal of becoming a leading hybrid airline in the Middle East. Nesma joined the Arab Air Carriers Organization in 2022.

Recent growth includes a Cairo to Milan route launched in 2024, an additional A320 in March 2025 and a Hurghada to Zurich service from July 2026. CAPA reported in September 2025 that the airline planned to rebrand as flyplus.

Milestones

2008Founded by a Saudi company as an investment in Egyptian aviation.
2010Starts full operations in July.
2016Nesma Airlines Company Ltd receives a Saudi air operator's licence.
2022Fully acquired by an Egyptian investor in March; joins AACO.
2024Launches a Cairo to Milan service.
2025Adds an A320 in March; announces plans to rebrand as flyplus in September.
2026Starts Hurghada to Zurich flights in July.

Fleet

Airbus A320 Airbus A321

Aircraft types in service as of 2026

Nesma Airlines flies Airbus narrow-body jets. Its website describes the A320 as the backbone of the fleet, and AACO's January 2026 table, based on Cirium data, lists eight A320s and one A321.

Network and hubs

Nesma Airlines operates from Cairo, with Ha'il as its main base in Saudi Arabia and leisure flying from Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. Its website reports about 12 flights a day to more than 30 destinations in over 10 countries, and about 380,000 passengers a year.

Scheduled services link Egyptian cities with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, while seasonal and charter flights serve Europe, including Milan and Zurich. AACO data based on 2024 schedules shows 34 airports in nine countries.

Nesma Airlines: frequently asked questions

What are Nesma Airlines' IATA and ICAO codes?

Nesma Airlines uses the IATA airline code NE and the ICAO designator NMA, with the radio callsign NESMA. IATA and the FAA register the airline in Egypt. Its Saudi operator, Nesma Airlines Saudi Arabia, holds a separate ICAO designator, NSS, with the callsign NESMA CONNECT.

Is Nesma Airlines Egyptian or Saudi?

Both, in different ways. Nesma Airlines is headquartered in Cairo and registered in Egypt under the NE code, and it has been fully owned by an Egyptian investor since 2022. It was founded by a Saudi company, and a Saudi operating company has held a Saudi air operator's licence since 2016.

Where does Nesma Airlines fly?

Nesma Airlines flies within Egypt and to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and runs seasonal and charter flights to Europe, including Milan and Zurich. Its website reports more than 30 destinations in over 10 countries, served by about 12 flights a day from Cairo, Ha'il, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh.

How do travel agents book Nesma Airlines?

Agents can become authorised resellers through Nesma's agent registration and agent login, and Nesma bookings can also be made through GDS channels under its ADM rules. No NDC programme was verified. Nesma also sells charter flights directly.

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Sources

Profile updated 4 November 2026 by the ReservationHub team. Airline details change: confirm schedules, fares and policies with the airline before booking. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.