Infrastructure

Luxor is served by Luxor International Airport, and a rail service several times a day for domestic travel between major destinations across the Nile, such as Cairo and Aswan. Due to reduced tourism from the late 1990s into the 2000s, Egypt Air announced weekly direct flights from Paris and London to revive tourism following travel bans to Egypt being lifted.

           Transport between the East and West banks of the Nile is an important aspect of infrastructure in Luxor, both for residents and tourists. Ferry services, such as the local ‘National Ferry’, is the usual transport for river crossings, which operate from a landing outside Luxor Temple. Feluccas, traditional boats, are popular among tourists as the provide a scenic and calm crossing of the Nile. Transport is also provided by taxi drivers and motorboats, and a bridge which opened in 1998 a little upstream from Luxor to allow land access between the banks. Residents tend to make use of the several local bus routes, while tourists take horses carriages for transport and tours around the city.

           Political instability in Egypt and inconsistent management in 2011 has caused economic problems, which have impacted infrastructure developments in the residential areas of Luxor, which suffer from inadequate water, sewage, and electricity facilities. Since this instability, there have been movements to create sustainable solutions to the infrastructure issues, such as the former Luxor governor, Saad el-Din, who took steps towards a ‘clean and green’ Luxor by establishing three solar energy stations in Luxor to serve as pilot projects for citywide solar lighting. Furthermore, the governorate is regenerating new roads to overcome these past political struggles and better connect Luxor to surrounding areas to invite tourism and trade.