El Alamein
International Airport
Egypt’s north coast airport, on the Mediterranean resort strip west of Alexandria. An 11,479 foot runway, Category 7 cover, a summer season, and a far shorter ground leg to Sidi Abdel Rahman and Marassi than Alexandria offers.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
El Alamein at a glance
El Alamein carries the ICAO code HEAL and the identifier DBB. A single 11,479 foot runway at 143 feet elevation in the Matrouh Governorate on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, with ICAO Category 7 fire cover.
It serves the north coast resort corridor and New Alamein, and its value is positional: the coast is otherwise a long drive from Alexandria’s only working airport.
Why here
The coast is a long way from Alexandria’s airport
Alexandria International sits about 40 kilometres east of that city, and the north coast resorts at Sidi Abdel Rahman and Marassi are a long drive further west. El Alamein sits on the resort strip itself.
For traffic heading to the coast rather than into Alexandria, it is the shorter ground leg by a wide margin. The season is June to September; outside it the field is very quiet, and clearance at a smaller seasonal airport is confirmed for the specific date rather than assumed.
Operating
Runway, permit and handling
13/31 is 3,500 metres, about 11,479 feet, at 143 feet elevation, with Category 7 fire cover. The runway takes the whole of business aviation.
Egypt requires a landing permit from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority for private and charter flights. We plan on four business days, with registration, airworthiness, insurance, noise certificate, AOC for charter and crew details, and a specific stated purpose of flight rather than business.
Handling is available and arranged regardless of mandate. Egypt is a permits market before it is an airport market, and at the smaller fields the permit is what decides the trip.
History
Built on a battlefield
The airport was built in the late 2000s to serve the north coast resort development and the new city of New Alamein, on ground that saw the decisive Second World War battle of the same name in 1942.
It has grown with the coast’s summer traffic and remains a seasonal field. The war cemeteries and museum are the closest sites of note to the airport.
Nearby
El Alamein and the Egyptian fields
Egypt is a permits market first. Choose the airport by destination once the ECAA permit is in hand.
HECACairo InternationalHESXSphinx InternationalHEAXAlexandria InternationalHEGNHurghada InternationalHESHSharm El Sheikh International
Alexandria for the city itself. Cairo International and Sphinx for the capital. Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and El Gouna for the Red Sea. Luxor and Aswan for the Nile Valley.
Airport guides & index
Questions
El Alamein, answered
Can private jets use El Alamein?
Yes. El Alamein has an 11,479 foot runway at 143 feet elevation with ICAO Category 7 fire cover, and it serves Egypt's north coast resort corridor at Sidi Abdel Rahman and Marassi, which is otherwise a long road transfer from Alexandria. The ECAA landing permit applies.
Why use El Alamein rather than Alexandria?
Position. Alexandria's only working airport sits 40 kilometres east of that city, and the north coast resorts are a long drive further west. El Alamein sits on the resort strip itself. For traffic heading to the coast rather than into Alexandria, it is the shorter ground leg by a wide margin.
How long is the runway at El Alamein?
13/31 is 3,500 metres, about 11,479 feet, by 148 feet, in asphalt, at 143 feet elevation. Fire cover is Category 7. The runway takes the whole of business aviation.
What permit does Egypt require?
Egypt requires a landing permit from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority for private and charter flights. We plan on four business days, with registration, airworthiness, insurance, noise certificate, AOC for charter and crew details, and a specific stated purpose of flight rather than "business".
Is ground handling mandatory at El Alamein?
Handling is available and we arrange it regardless. We have not confirmed from an authoritative source whether it is formally mandatory, so we do not state that it is. Egypt is a permits market before it is an airport market, and clearances at the smaller fields vary with season and operator.
When is the season at El Alamein?
June to September. The north coast is Egypt's Mediterranean summer resort, busiest from late June through August, and the airport's traffic follows the same curve. Outside the season it is very quiet.
What does El Alamein serve?
The resort corridor from El Alamein town through Sidi Abdel Rahman and Marassi towards Marsa Matrouh, and the new city of New Alamein. It is also the closest airport to the El Alamein war cemeteries and museum.
Can you fly direct to El Alamein from abroad?
Yes, El Alamein is an international airport with customs and immigration and receives seasonal direct flights. A private aircraft can arrive internationally with the permit in hand, though clearance at a smaller seasonal field should be confirmed for the specific date.
El Alamein or Alexandria?
El Alamein for the resorts and the coast west of Alexandria. Alexandria for the city itself. They are the two airports on Egypt's Mediterranean coast and serve different ends of it.
What is the history of El Alamein airport?
The airport was built in the late 2000s to serve the north coast resort development and New Alamein, on ground that saw the decisive Second World War battle of the same name in 1942. It has grown with the coast's summer traffic and remains a seasonal field.
What time zone is Egypt in?
Eastern European Time, UTC+2, with daylight saving reinstated from 2023 giving UTC+3 in summer.
Get Your Number
Request a north coast charter
Tell us the resort and the dates. We file the ECAA permit inside the four day window, confirm clearance and handling for the specific date at a seasonal field, and price Alexandria alongside if the city is the real destination.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.