Last week I shared my take on how I consider Cairo to have the worst major international airport in the world. That’s just my opinion, based on having traveled through the airport a countless number of times over the years.
For that matter, I hardly view that as being such a controversial take. Which airport with 20+ million passengers annually is worse? Do some people think Cairo should be ranked as one of the world’s best airports?
Well, I think my days of visiting Cairo Airport may be over, because the country’s government is accusing me of lying, and is threatening me for spreading false information.
Admittedly I know my job comes with some risks, but I’ve gotta say, in my nearly 17 years of blogging, this is perhaps the most bizarre response I’ve ever seen from a government to any negative story I’ve written. So unless you think Cairo Airport is the finest in the world, make sure you keep it to yourself! I know Egypt isn’t necessarily the most pro-free speech place on earth, but I wasn’t expecting a Pyongyang-esque response.
My criticism of Cairo Airport went viral in Egypt
Over the past few days, several readers have told me that my criticism of Cairo Airport is going viral in Egypt. I didn’t think much of it, but then yesterday I saw the below clip, where I guess my story was covered during a major news program, hosted by broadcaster Amr Adeeb.
If I’m understanding what he’s saying correctly, a blogger (me) made a report about Cairo Airport, which he calls “a very dramatic report” and “an awful report.” He then goes on to basically acknowledge that Cairo isn’t the best or biggest airport in the world, and that it has problems, that the airport’s capacity isn’t enough for the demand. He also questions my expertise or credentials to judge an airport. Sorry, but:
- What credentials does he think you need to be able to share your opinion on an airport online?
- I think I have sufficient firsthand knowledge with airports to chime in on passenger experience
Egypt’s Minister of Aviation attacks me
It’s not just that the news in Egypt has picked up on this, but Egypt’s Minister of Aviation has even gotten involved. He has called my claims baseless, and has said that the country will “take all necessary legal action against those who attempt to harm the credibility and reputation of the civil aviation sector through unfounded allegations.”
Here’s the wildest part of all — the government believes that the purpose of my trip to Egypt was not for “tourism or any official purpose,” but rather was “aimed at undermining Cairo Airport.” I’ve also seen some people suggest that I’m on the payroll of a foreign airport management company, and that I was trying to ruin the airport’s reputation to get a new contract for them?
Right, and I’m the one making up baseless claims? As any OMAAT reader knows, I was in Cairo for one simple reason — the airport has among the most reasonable premium airfare in the world, so I often position myself there (well, past tense at this point).
My experience at Cairo Airport is taking on a life of its own. A story written in the Al-Marsad newspaper in Egypt makes the following claims (I’m using Google Translate, so I’m not sure if that was the intent or not, but I’ll view “the worst in the world blogger” title as a badge of honor):
A foreign blogger angered the Egyptians, after he posted a video in which he said that he was subjected to ill-treatment at Cairo Airport, and that he was forced to wait hours until his procedures were completed.
The worst in the world Blogger Ben Schlappig claimed that Cairo Airport is “the worst in the world,” accusing the employees of aggression. He wrote in his popular travel blog, “ONE MILE AT A TIME,” that he had a bad experience in Cairo.
Unfounded, the Egyptian Minister of Aviation, Sameh Hefny, responded to these allegations, saying that they were completely baseless.
He explained in an intervention on the “Al-Hekaya” program on MBC Misr that the ministry will publish, today, Sunday, a video supported by facts to respond to these false rumours.
He also revealed that the blogger who attacked the airport used fabricated videos, stressing that he did not deal with any of the workers, and stood filming the crowd for half an hour, knowing that he left the airport in only 18 minutes, according to what surveillance cameras showed. In addition, it was considered that there are attempts to target Cairo Airport and distort its image.
Yes, indeed, Egypt’s Ministry of Aviation has published a video of me at the airport “supported by facts,” which I’ll address in a different post. But I honestly have no clue what the government is talking about with that last paragraph:
- I used fabricated videos? Huh? I don’t take videos, and certainly didn’t share any in my post about the airport
- I stood filming the crowd at the airport for half an hour? Again, huh? I don’t take videos, and certainly didn’t stand anywhere for 30 minutes filming anything
- The story also references how I claim I “was forced to wait hours” at the airport, only I never made that claim? Funny enough, I rate Cairo Airport so low despite the fact that I don’t find the lines to be very long, which should tell you something 😉
Anyway, the government did a bizarre and creepy level of tracking of me at Cairo Airport, including publishing videos of me at the airport, which the government claims prove that I’m lying… only they don’t? Like I said, I’ll be addressing that in detail in a separate post.
Ultimately I’m the one who will lose out here in terms of no longer having access to some cheap premium airfare out of Cairo, but I’ll be fine, and if anything, they’re doing me a favor. That being said, the Egyptian government really is digging itself a hole here:
- Egypt is continuing to try to grow its tourism industry, so threatening foreign travelers for simply sharing a negative opinion of the airport online doesn’t exactly instill confidence in the country
- Rather than accepting constructive feedback or even ignoring it, the government is instead amplifying this negative feedback, and making up untrue claims about me
- It’s clear the government has no interest in improving the airport, since it’s claiming that everything that I (and many others) say is untrue; according to the government, everyone is friendly, no one asks for tips, and everything is totally orderly, and if you disagree, you must be there specifically to sabotage the airport
- Does the government not have anything better to do…?
Bottom line
I guess my days of frequent travel through Cairo Airport are over, as the country isn’t happy with my criticism of the airport. I just shared my take on why Cairo has the worst major airport in the world based on my many visits over the years, but apparently that means that I’m just making stuff up.
Standby for part two, because this gets even wilder, with the government making some really strange accusations against me. Like I said, I’ve been doing this for nearly 17 years, and this is no doubt one of my wildest situations, and gives the Aegon Mykonos saga a run for its money.
What do you make of the response of Egypt’s government?
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