AlMasria Universal Airlines (UJ, Cairo International) and fellow Egyptian operator Nesma Airlines (NE, Cairo International) have outlined plans to enter the scheduled European market amid signs the country's tourism sector is slowly recovering from a three-year long depression.

According to Egypt's Daily News, following the sale of its two A320-200s to the Bank of China last year, AlMasria is now in talks with Alitalia (AZA, Rome Fiumicino) to purchase one A320-200 ahead of its planned launch of flights between Moscow and the Red Sea resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh. The regional carrier had approached EgyptAir (MS, Cairo International) to acquire two of its parked A340-200s though those talks are said to have fallen through.

For its part, Nesma Airlines is looking to broaden its scope to include scheduled flights to Germany, Italy and Latvia. The carrier says it wants to tap into the German tourist market with flights to Munich, Hannover and Berlin in the coming months.

A member of Saudi Arabia’s Nesma Group, Nesma Airlines's network currently focuses on flights between Egypt and Saudi Arabia using a fleet of three A320-200s. The airline also offers charter flights between Egypt and Europe.