CAIlarge airport

Cairo International Airport

Cairo, Egypt

Explore Cairo city guide Navigate to this airport

Routes out

151

Destinations

ICAO

HECA

Elevation

322 ft

The gateway in a glance

The Essence of Cairo International Airport

CAI

Location

Cairo · C · Egypt

Connectivity

151 routes · 81 destinations

Position

30.112°, 31.397° · 322 ft elev.

Visa & Entry

e-Visa, Visa on Arrival (select nationalities)Official

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A closer look

Living guide content for Cairo International Airport — read or listen in 46+ languages.

Language

TravelerPulse profile

Egypt's busiest gateway connecting Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

Opened

1945

Location

Cairo, Egypt

Cairo International Airport is the primary international airport serving Cairo, the capital of Egypt, and is the busiest airport in Africa and the Arab world by passenger traffic. Located approximately 15 kilometres northeast of central Cairo in the Heliopolis district, it serves as a major hub for both regional and intercontinental travel. The airport is operated by the Egyptian Airports Company and handles tens of millions of passengers annually. It serves as the main hub for EgyptAir, the national carrier of Egypt, alongside numerous international airlines connecting Cairo to destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Cairo International Airport has undergone significant infrastructure expansions over the decades, including the addition of Terminal 3, which opened in 2008 and is the most modern facility at the airport. Ongoing development projects aim to increase capacity and modernize operations to meet growing demand.

Terminals

The airport operates three passenger terminals: Terminal 1 (used by non-EgyptAir international carriers), Terminal 2 (domestic and some regional flights), and Terminal 3 (EgyptAir's dedicated hub terminal).

Getting to & from

Ground transport options include airport taxis, ride-hailing services, and public buses, with no direct metro or rail link to central Cairo as of the latest available information.

Airlines here

EgyptAir is the primary hub carrier, with major international airlines including Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines also operating regular service.

Notable facts

›Cairo International Airport is the busiest airport in Africa by passenger numbers.
›Terminal 3, opened in 2008, was built to accommodate EgyptAir's rapid expansion and can handle up to 11 million passengers per year.
›The airport has served as an aviation hub in the region since the mid-20th century.
›IATA code CAI and ICAO code HECA are widely recognized identifiers in Middle Eastern and African aviation.
›The airport handles both civilian and some military aviation traffic owing to its historical origins.

Official website Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.

Route map (79 destinations)

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Airlines serving this airport

Express One International

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Swiss International Air Lines

South African Airways

Sudan Airways

Scandinavian Airlines System

Brussels Airlines

Singapore Airlines Cargo

Singapore Airlines

Aeroflot Russian Airlines

Saudi Arabian Airlines

Saudia

Thai Airways International

Turkish Airlines

Tunisair

United Airlines

AlMasria Universal Airlines

Oman Air

Routes

CAI → TLV4D · E70

CAI → BEN8U · 320

CAI → TIP8U · 320 332

CAI → ATHA3 · 738

CAI → CDGAF · 332 343

CAI → ALGAH · 736

CAI → BOMAI · 738

CAI → CMNAT · 738

CAI → RUHAT · 738

CAI → FCOAZ · 319 32S

CAI → MXPAZ · 32S 319

CAI → LHRBA · 767

CAI → CANCA · 773

CAI → PEKCA · 330

CAI → DXBEK · 773 772

CAI → ELQEO · 320

CAI → YNBEO · 320

CAI → TUUEO · 320

CAI → TIFEO · 320

CAI → LCAET · E70

CAI → ADDET · 73W 738

CAI → AUHEY · 320

CAI → SHJG9 · 320

CAI → BAHGF · 320 321

CAI → CDGIY · 330

CAI → RIYIY · 320

CAI → SAHIY · 310 330 320

CAI → KWIJ9 · 320

CAI → ADEIY · 320

CAI → TAIIY · 320

CAI → AMSKL · 777

CAI → KWIKU · 777 340 320 AB6

CAI → FRALH · 321 32A

CAI → MUCLH · 738

CAI → MRALN · 320

CAI → BENLN · 320

CAI → TIPLN · 320

CAI → GVALX · 738

CAI → ZRHLX · 333 343

CAI → HMBM4 · DH4

CAI → HBEM4 · DH4

CAI → HRGM4 · DH4

CAI → ASWM4 · DH4

CAI → SSHM4 · DH4

CAI → ATZM4 · DH4

CAI → LXRM4 · DH4

CAI → BEYME · 320 321

CAI → BKKMH · 773

CAI → ABVMS · 738

CAI → ACCMS · 738

CAI → ALGMS · 320

CAI → AUHMS · 738 330

CAI → BCNMS · 738

CAI → BOMMS · 738

CAI → CMNMS · 321

CAI → CPHMS · 738

CAI → DXBMS · 773 333

CAI → EBBMS · 320

CAI → GVAMS · 738

CAI → KANMS · 320

Aircraft operating here

Airbus A32064 routes Boeing 737-80047 routes Embraer 17020 routes Airbus A32115 routes Airbus A330-30014 routes Airbus A33013 routes Boeing 777-30010 routes De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 Dash 8Q7 routes Airbus A3195 routes Boeing 777-2004 routes Airbus A340-3003 routes Airbus A3403 routes

Stay, Eat & Explore: Cairo

The mother of the world

•Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx — The 4,500-year-old wonder at the city's edge.
•Grand Egyptian Museum — Tutankhamun's full treasures beside the pyramids.
•Khan el-Khalili — Brass, spices and coffee in the medieval bazaar.
•Coptic Cairo — Roman fortress churches and the Hanging Church.
•Nile felucca at sunset — Lateen sails drifting past the corniche.

Getting around: Metro Line 2 crosses the Nile; Uber/Careem beat haggling. Day trains and sleepers run to Luxor and Aswan.

Full Cairo guide → Places to stay Dining guide

Hotels near CAI

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Where

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Guests

Rooms

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City & Place Guide

No guide exists for this place yet — Click to generate a Traveler Pulse guide.

Passport, Visa & Immigration

Flying internationally via CAI? Check entry, transit and customs requirements for Egypt from official government sources.

Egypt visa & entry information →Embassy & consulate finder →

Encyclopaedia

Cairo International Airport is the main international airport serving Cairo and its metropolitan area. It is the largest and busiest airport in Egypt. The airport serves as the primary hub for EgyptAir and Nile Air as well as several other airlines. The airport is located in Heliopolis, to the northeast of Cairo around fifteen kilometres from the business area of the city and has an area of approximately 37 km2 (14 sq mi). It is the busiest airport in Africa and the 9th busiest airport in the Middle East in terms of total passengers.

Read full article on Wikipedia