Egypt, Italy sign airlines development deal

Egypt and Italy signed on Tuesday a deal to improve training for airline pilots and develop aviation regulatory and supervisory activities, to be financed by a European Union grant worth €1.1 million ($1.24 million), state-owned news agency MENA reported.

Switzerland, Denmark and Italy had competed for the European Union grant to sign the deal with Egypt's aviation authority for a project that aims at institutional reform and job restructuring, reported MENA.

Italy has traditionally been Egypt's biggest trading partner in Europe, with trade between the two countries reaching $6.1 billion in the fiscal year 2013/14, central bank data shows.