Luxor
International Airport
The gateway to the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and the Nile cruise fleet. A 9,843 foot runway, Category 9 cover, no slot constraint, and a season that runs October to April for good reason.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Luxor at a glance
Luxor carries the ICAO code HELX and the identifier LXR. A single 9,843 foot runway at 294 feet elevation, about six kilometres east of the city, with ICAO Category 9 fire cover.
It is an international airport with direct European traffic in season and no airport slot constraint, and it is the most common domestic charter destination from Cairo that we fly.
Why here
The Valley of the Kings, and the cruise fleet
Luxor is the gateway to the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Luxor Temple, and to most Nile cruise embarkations. The airport is a short drive from the East Bank hotels and the moorings, with the West Bank sites across the river.
Many itineraries fly into Luxor and out of Aswan, or the reverse, with the cruise between. Our Cairo to Luxor and Cairo to Aswan route guides cover both legs. The season is October to April; Luxor summers regularly exceed 40 degrees.
Operating
Runway, permit and handling
02/20 is 3,000 metres, about 9,843 feet, at 294 feet elevation, with Category 9 fire cover. The runway takes the whole of business aviation and summer heat is the only performance consideration. There is no airport slot.
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; we have not confirmed whether it is formally mandatory. A domestic leg on a foreign-registered aircraft is coordinated within the permit, and we file the whole itinerary as one.
History
From airfield to Upper Egypt’s gateway
The airport grew from a wartime airfield into Egypt’s principal Upper Egypt gateway as Nile tourism developed through the twentieth century.
A new terminal opened in 2005 to handle the direct international charter traffic the Valley of the Kings attracts, and the airport now receives European flights in season alongside the domestic shuttle from Cairo.
Nearby
Luxor 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
HESNAswan InternationalHEALEl Alamein InternationalHEGOEl Gouna
Aswan for Abu Simbel and the southern end of the Nile. Cairo International and Sphinx for the capital. Hurghada and El Gouna are the Red Sea fields closest to Luxor by road, about four hours. Sharm El Sheikh for Sinai. Alexandria and El Alamein for the Mediterranean.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Luxor, answered
Can private jets use Luxor?
Yes. Luxor has a 9,843 foot runway with ICAO Category 9 fire cover and full international facilities, and it is the gateway to the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and the Nile cruise fleet. The ECAA landing permit applies as everywhere in Egypt. There is no airport slot constraint of the kind Cairo imposes.
How long is the runway at Luxor?
02/20 is 3,000 metres, about 9,843 feet, by 148 feet, in asphalt, at 294 feet elevation. Fire cover is Category 9. The runway takes the whole of business aviation, and Luxor's summer heat is the only performance consideration.
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".
When is the season at Luxor?
October to April. Luxor summers regularly exceed 40 degrees Celsius, which affects both the visitor experience and departure performance. Most private traffic is winter traffic, and the Cairo to Luxor charter is one of the most common domestic legs we fly.
Is ground handling mandatory at Luxor?
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.
Luxor or Aswan?
Luxor for the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and most Nile cruise embarkations. Aswan for Abu Simbel, Philae and the southern end of the cruise route. Many itineraries fly into one and out of the other, with the cruise between, and our Cairo to Luxor and Cairo to Aswan route guides cover both legs.
How far is the airport from Luxor?
About six kilometres east of the city, a short drive to the East Bank hotels and the Nile cruise moorings. The West Bank sites are across the river.
Can you fly direct to Luxor from abroad?
Yes, Luxor is an international airport with customs and immigration and receives direct European charter flights in season. A private aircraft can arrive internationally, permit in hand, without routing through Cairo.
Do you need a permit for a domestic Cairo to Luxor leg?
The ECAA landing permit covers the operation into Egypt; a domestic leg between Egyptian airports on a foreign-registered aircraft is coordinated within it. We handle the whole itinerary as one filing.
What is the history of Luxor airport?
The airport grew from a wartime airfield into Egypt's principal Upper Egypt gateway as Nile tourism developed through the twentieth century, with a new terminal opened in 2005 to handle the direct international charter traffic that the Valley of the Kings attracts.
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 Luxor charter
Tell us the dates and whether the trip pairs with Aswan or a Nile cruise. We file the ECAA permit inside the four day window, coordinate the domestic legs within it, and plan the whole Upper Egypt itinerary as one.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.