Ahmed Shafik
Encyclopedia
Ahmed Mohamed Shafik is a former senior commander in the Egyptian Air Force
and politician who served as Prime Minister of Egypt
from January 2011 to March 2011.
After a career as a fighter pilot
, squadron, wing and base commander, Shafik was the Commander of the Egyptian Air Force from 1996 to 2002, reaching the rank of air marshal
. Thereafter he served in the government as Minister of Civil Aviation
from 2002 to 2011.
He was appointed as Prime Minister by President Hosni Mubarak
on January 29, 2011 in response to the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
making him the final Prime Minister to serve as part of Mubarek's administration. Amidst a rapidly changing political situation, he remained in office only for a month, resigning on 3 March 2011.
in November 1941. After graduating from the Egyptian Air Academy
in 1961, he joined the Egyptian Air Force
(EAF) at the age of 20. Later in his career, he gained a master's degree
in Military Sciences and a Ph.D.
in the National Strategy of Outer-Space.
(1967–1970), Shafik saw active service as the Multi-Task Airwing Commander. Subsequently he took up a post as an air base commander.
During the 1973 October War
, Shafik was a senior fighter pilot under Hosni Mubarak
's command. It is believed that Shafik shot down two Israeli aircrafts during the war on October 14, 1973.
During his 40 years of service in the Egyptian Air Force as a fighter pilot, he flew several types of fighter jets including the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19
, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
and the Dassault Mirage 2000, he also acted as the wing commander for the Egyptian Air Force acrobatic team. He is also fully qualified on the American-built McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon.
In 1984 Shafik was appointed a military attaché in the Egyptian Embassy in Rome
. He continued in this role until 1986. During 1988 to 1991, Shafik served several military senior command positions before he was appointed as the Commander of the Air Operations Department.
In September 1991, Shafik was appointed as the Air Force's Chief of Staff
, holding this position until April 1996, when he became Commander of the Egyptian Air Force. In 2002, he was appointed as Minister of Civil Aviation and was succeeded by his chief of staff Air Marshal Magdy Galal Sharawi
.
, upgraded Egyptian airports management and infrastructure and improved relations with domestic and international private operators and international regulatory authorities.
Shafik undertook an ambitious restructuring plan for EgyptAir and managed to achieve a turnaround in the company's performance. Egyptair became a Star Alliance member in 2008.
Shafik is also considered to have effectively modernized the Egyptian airports, transforming the Cairo International Airport
into a regional hub through the inauguration of Terminal 3 in 2008 and bringing its annual capacity to 22 million passengers. Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport
reached an annual capacity of 8 million passengers after opening Terminal 2.
In the course of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, Shafik was named Prime Minister on January 29. However, his Premiership was to be short-lived, lasting just over a month, after he resigned on 3 March due to pressure from protestors and the opposition. They had objected to Shafik staying on as PM, having been seen as one of Mubarak's old guard. Shafik was alleged to have been a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
that took over power after Mubarak's departure on February 11, 2011. Shafik was succeeded by Essam Sharaf
after he stepped down.
On 10 July, Shafik made his first public appearance since resigning as Prime Minister. He attended the graduation ceremony of the Egyptian Air Force Academy class along with the Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces.
Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF , is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The EAF is headed by an Air Marshal . Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed...
and politician who served as Prime Minister of Egypt
Prime Minister of Egypt
The Prime Minister of Egypt is the head of the Egyptian government. According to the constitution, the prime minister is the leader of the largest political party in the Egyptian Parliament....
from January 2011 to March 2011.
After a career as a fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
, squadron, wing and base commander, Shafik was the Commander of the Egyptian Air Force from 1996 to 2002, reaching the rank of air marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
. Thereafter he served in the government as Minister of Civil Aviation
Ministry of Civil Aviation (Egypt)
The Ministry of Civil Aviation of Egypt is the ministry in charge of civil aviation in Egypt. Its headquarters are in Cairo.-Ministers of civil aviation:The current minister of the Egyptian civil aviation is Air Marshal Lotfi Mustafa Kamal....
from 2002 to 2011.
He was appointed as Prime Minister by President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
on January 29, 2011 in response to the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
making him the final Prime Minister to serve as part of Mubarek's administration. Amidst a rapidly changing political situation, he remained in office only for a month, resigning on 3 March 2011.
Early life
Shafik was born in CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
in November 1941. After graduating from the Egyptian Air Academy
Egyptian Air Academy
The Egyptian Air Academy , is Egypt's military academy for Air Force officers, and was established in 1951....
in 1961, he joined the Egyptian Air Force
Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF , is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The EAF is headed by an Air Marshal . Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed...
(EAF) at the age of 20. Later in his career, he gained a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Military Sciences and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in the National Strategy of Outer-Space.
Military career
As a young officer, Shafik served as a fighter pilot and was later appointed as fighter air squadron commander. During the War of AttritionWar of Attrition
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission of the United Nations was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been...
(1967–1970), Shafik saw active service as the Multi-Task Airwing Commander. Subsequently he took up a post as an air base commander.
During the 1973 October War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
, Shafik was a senior fighter pilot under Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
's command. It is believed that Shafik shot down two Israeli aircrafts during the war on October 14, 1973.
During his 40 years of service in the Egyptian Air Force as a fighter pilot, he flew several types of fighter jets including the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the USSR from 1952 and operated by numerous air forces in many variants. Most MiG-17 variants cannot carry air-to-air missiles, but shot down many aircraft with its cannons...
, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 is a Soviet second-generation, single-seat, twin jet-engined fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S...
, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
and the Dassault Mirage 2000, he also acted as the wing commander for the Egyptian Air Force acrobatic team. He is also fully qualified on the American-built McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon.
In 1984 Shafik was appointed a military attaché in the Egyptian Embassy in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He continued in this role until 1986. During 1988 to 1991, Shafik served several military senior command positions before he was appointed as the Commander of the Air Operations Department.
In September 1991, Shafik was appointed as the Air Force's Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
, holding this position until April 1996, when he became Commander of the Egyptian Air Force. In 2002, he was appointed as Minister of Civil Aviation and was succeeded by his chief of staff Air Marshal Magdy Galal Sharawi
Magdy Galal Sharawi
Air Marshal Magdy Galal Sharawi is a retired senior Egyptian Air Force officer. From 2002 to 2008, he was the Commander of the Egyptian Air Force....
.
Political career
As a civil aviation minister, he tackled some of the major problems at the national carrier EgyptAirEgyptAir
EgyptAir is the flag carrier airline of Egypt and a member of Star Alliance. The airline is based at Cairo International Airport, its main hub, operating scheduled passenger and freight services to more than 75 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas...
, upgraded Egyptian airports management and infrastructure and improved relations with domestic and international private operators and international regulatory authorities.
Shafik undertook an ambitious restructuring plan for EgyptAir and managed to achieve a turnaround in the company's performance. Egyptair became a Star Alliance member in 2008.
Shafik is also considered to have effectively modernized the Egyptian airports, transforming the Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport is the busiest airport in Egypt and the primary hub for Star Alliance member EgyptAir. The airport is located to the north-east of the city around from the business area of the city.The airport is administered by the Egyptian Holding Co...
into a regional hub through the inauguration of Terminal 3 in 2008 and bringing its annual capacity to 22 million passengers. Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport
Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport
Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport , formerly known as Ophira International Airport, is an international airport located in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt...
reached an annual capacity of 8 million passengers after opening Terminal 2.
In the course of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, Shafik was named Prime Minister on January 29. However, his Premiership was to be short-lived, lasting just over a month, after he resigned on 3 March due to pressure from protestors and the opposition. They had objected to Shafik staying on as PM, having been seen as one of Mubarak's old guard. Shafik was alleged to have been a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces consists of a body of 20 senior officers in the Egyptian military. As a consequence of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the Council took the power to govern Egypt from its departing President Hosni Mubarak on February 11, 2011.The junta meets regularly, as...
that took over power after Mubarak's departure on February 11, 2011. Shafik was succeeded by Essam Sharaf
Essam Sharaf
Essam Abdel-Aziz Sharaf is an Egyptian academic who has been Prime Minister of Egypt since 3 March 2011. He served as Minister of Transportation from 2004 to 2005.-Early life and education:...
after he stepped down.
On 10 July, Shafik made his first public appearance since resigning as Prime Minister. He attended the graduation ceremony of the Egyptian Air Force Academy class along with the Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces.
External links
- Air Force Commander of the Egyptian Armed Forces
- Ahmed Shafik: Tough, Al-Ahram WeeklyAl-Ahram WeeklyAl-Ahram Weekly is an Egyptian English-language weekly broadsheet printed by the Al-Ahram Publishing House in Cairo, Egypt.It was established in 1991 by the Al-Ahram newspaper, which also runs a French-language weekly version, Al-Ahram Hebdo....
, 10 - 16 February 2011