Cairo
International Airport
Egypt’s principal gateway and Africa’s second busiest airport. Three runways, Category 9 cover, slots and mandatory handling, and a permit that takes four business days. For most private arrivals, Sphinx is the better Cairo airport.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Cairo International at a glance
Cairo International carries the ICAO code HECA and the identifier CAI. Three runways, two of them 13,123 feet, at 382 feet elevation in Heliopolis about 15 kilometres north east of the centre, with ICAO Category 9 fire cover.
It is slot coordinated with mandatory handling and is the busiest airport in Egypt. For a private arrival the question is usually whether Sphinx serves better.
The Choice
Cairo International or Sphinx
Sphinx International, west of the city in Giza, is a single-runway airport with no airline queue, about 35 minutes from downtown, and materially cheaper to operate into. For most private arrivals it is the better Cairo airport.
Cairo International earns its place when passengers connect onto a scheduled flight, when the destination is Heliopolis or the east of the city, or when maintenance support might be needed, which Sphinx cannot provide. Our comparison of the two Cairo airports goes through the cases.
Correction
The longest runway is 13,123 feet
Our previous guide published the runway as 8,002 feet. Cairo’s two longest runways, 05C/23C and 05R/23L, are each 4,000 metres, about 13,123 feet, with 05L/23R at 10,827 feet. Corrected here and in our data.
Field elevation is 382 feet; published figures range from 322 to 466 and we use 382. Cairo summers put density altitude into a heavy departure calculation, but the runway absorbs it.
Permits
What Egypt requires
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.
Cairo is also slot coordinated and handling is mandatory, so the permit, slot and handling are filed together. Egypt is a permits market before it is an airport market, and the completeness of the file decides the turnaround.
History
Payne Field, 1942
The airport began as Payne Field, a United States Army Air Forces base built in 1942, and passed to civil use in 1945 as Cairo’s international airport, replacing Almaza.
It grew through successive terminals into the largest airport in Egypt and the second busiest in Africa. The opening of Sphinx to the west in 2018 gave Cairo, for the first time, a genuine second airport.
Nearby
Cairo International and the Egyptian fields
Egypt is a permits market first. Choose the airport by destination once the ECAA permit is in hand.
HESXSphinx InternationalHEAXAlexandria InternationalHEGNHurghada InternationalHESHSharm El Sheikh International
HELXLuxor InternationalHESNAswan InternationalHEALEl Alamein InternationalHEGOEl Gouna
Sphinx for Giza, the Pyramids and most private arrivals into Cairo. Alexandria for the Mediterranean coast. El Alamein for the north coast resorts. Luxor and Aswan for the Nile Valley. Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and El Gouna for the Red Sea.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Cairo International, answered
Can private jets use Cairo International?
Yes. Cairo International is Egypt's principal gateway and the second busiest airport in Africa, with three runways, two of them 13,123 feet, ICAO Category 9 fire cover and full customs. It is slot coordinated and handling is mandatory, and it is a busier and more expensive operation than Sphinx for a private arrival.
Cairo International or Sphinx?
Sphinx for most private arrivals: it is a single-runway airport with no airline queue, about 35 minutes from downtown, and materially cheaper to operate into. Cairo International when the passengers connect onto a scheduled flight, when the destination is Heliopolis or east Cairo, or when maintenance support might be needed, which Sphinx cannot provide. Our comparison of the two Cairo airports goes through the cases.
Why did your old page say 8,002 feet?
We do not know where the figure came from, and it was wrong. Cairo's two longest runways, 05C/23C and 05R/23L, are each 4,000 metres, about 13,123 feet, with 05L/23R at 3,300 metres, about 10,827 feet. Corrected here and in our data.
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".
Does Cairo need a slot?
Yes, Cairo International is slot coordinated and a slot is required in addition to the ECAA landing permit. Handling is mandatory through one of the handlers on the field.
How long are the runways at Cairo?
05C/23C and 05R/23L are each 4,000 metres, about 13,123 feet. 05L/23R is 3,300 metres, about 10,827 feet. Field elevation is 382 feet. Nothing in business aviation is constrained by the runways.
Is ground handling mandatory at Cairo?
Yes, through an approved handler. It is arranged alongside the permit and slot.
What is the elevation at Cairo?
382 feet. Published sources have differed, with figures from 322 to 466 feet in circulation, and we use 382. Cairo summers are hot enough that density altitude features in a heavy departure calculation, but the 13,123 foot runway absorbs it.
How far is the airport from the city?
About 15 kilometres north east of central Cairo in Heliopolis. Traffic is the variable: allow an hour to downtown or Zamalek in the afternoon, which is part of why Sphinx competes despite being further out.
What is the history of Cairo International?
The airport began as Payne Field, a United States Army Air Forces base built in 1942, and passed to civil use in 1945 as Cairo's international airport, replacing Almaza. It grew through successive terminals into the largest airport in Egypt and the second busiest in Africa.
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 Cairo charter
Tell us where in Cairo you are going and whether anyone connects onward. We will usually recommend Sphinx and explain why; where Cairo International is right we file the ECAA permit, the slot and the handling together inside the four day window.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.