Cairo to Nairobi
Private Jet Charter
Cairo to Nairobi is about four and a half hours in the air, 1914 nautical miles from Sphinx down the length of Africa to Jomo Kenyatta, on a super-midsize or heavy jet. Nairobi sits at 5,330 feet, the permit takes three business days, and the safari aircraft leave from a different airport. You land an hour later on the clock in winter, the same in summer.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 4 September 2026
Route overview
Get your number
Get a number for your dates
Tell us the dates, the passengers and whether the trip continues to the Mara or the coast. The desk quotes Nairobi as one itinerary, files the Kenya permit and the overflights with the Egypt permit, and tells you which aircraft fits before you book.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203. The desk is staffed 24/7.
The route
Why fly private from Cairo to Nairobi?
Cairo to Nairobi is the Africa sector on our desk: 1914 nautical miles, about four and a half hours in the air down the Nile and across the Ethiopian highlands, and a landing at the largest airport in Kenya. Business between the two regional capitals flies it, and so does the safari: the Mara, Samburu, Lamu and the coast all begin with a Nairobi arrival.
Why private works here
Leave Sphinx, 35 minutes from downtown Cairo, and land at Jomo Kenyatta with customs at the aircraft and the car waiting, in the time an airline itinerary spends on a connection. For a safari, the desk lines up the light aircraft from Wilson so the Mara flight leaves within the hour, and for business the same jet waits or repositions for the return.
Aircraft fit
At this distance a super-midsize jet is the sensible floor: eight or nine passengers, nonstop with margin, and the performance for a departure out of a field at 5,330 feet. Heavy jets fly it with the most room and are the usual choice for a family safari with luggage. Midsize jets need a fuel stop on the way and are rarely the right money. Nothing lighter is quoted on this sector.
Advisor note
Nairobi is high, and that is the fact people underestimate. Jomo Kenyatta sits at 5,330 feet and the city is warm all year, so a departure at maximum weight is calculated properly, particularly in the afternoon. The 13,507 foot runway absorbs a great deal; it is no accident it is that long. The permit is 72 business hours, the overflights along the route are filed with it, and handling is mandatory. None of it is difficult if it starts on time.
Icarus Jet charter deskCost
What determines the cost of a Cairo to Nairobi private jet charter?
A four-and-a-half-hour international sector is priced on the aircraft, the trip shape, the permits along the route and the dates. These are the things that move the number on Cairo to Nairobi.
Aircraft class
Super-midsize and heavy jets fly it nonstop. The cabin you choose is the biggest single swing in the quote, and for a family safari with luggage the heavy jet usually earns its price.
Round trip or two one-ways
A safari of a week or more is usually better as two one-way flights than as an aircraft waiting in Nairobi. A short business trip may keep it. The desk prices both and tells you which is cleaner.
Permits and overflights
Departure needs the Egyptian permit at four business days. Arrival needs the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority permit at 72 business hours, and the countries overflown along the route each need their clearance. We file all of it together on every trip.
Handling at Nairobi
Handling at Jomo Kenyatta is mandatory and arranged with the permit. Parking for a stay of several days is confirmed before the aircraft leaves Cairo, and repositioning is priced if the ramp is tight.
The season
July to October is the migration and the peak for Kenya, with the Christmas and New Year weeks a second peak. Aircraft out of Cairo and light aircraft out of Wilson both tighten then. Those dates need firm bookings weeks ahead.
What the number covers
We tell you what the quote covers before you book and we hold the operator to the number we gave you. No surprises on the invoice is the point of using the desk.
Aircraft
Which aircraft flies Cairo to Nairobi?
The longer half of the Icarus brokered fleet flies this sector. These are the three quoted most on Cairo to Nairobi.
Challenger 350 and Gulfstream G280 class
Eight or nine passengers, nonstop with margin, and the performance for the high-altitude departure out of Nairobi.
Challenger 650 and Gulfstream G450 class
Ten to twelve passengers with room for a family, its safari luggage and a proper rest on the way. The usual choice for the migration season.
Gulfstream G650 and Global 6000 class
Up to fourteen in the largest cabin, for a delegation or a group continuing beyond Nairobi to the coast or southern Africa.
Onward safari legs to the Mara, Samburu or Lamu fly on light aircraft from Wilson, arranged by the desk as part of the itinerary. See the jets we broker for the full range by cabin class.
Before you fly
What should I know before flying Cairo to Nairobi?
It is an international flight, so bring passports for everyone aboard. The desk files the crew and passenger details with the Egyptian permit and confirms each passenger's entry requirements for Kenya before departure. Customs is cleared at the aircraft at both ends.
Jomo Kenyatta is the arrival. A single 13,507 foot runway at 5,330 feet elevation, full customs and immigration, mandatory handling, and about eleven miles from central Nairobi. It is Kenya's principal port of entry and the default for any long-haul private arrival into East Africa.
The safari leaves from Wilson, not from JKIA. Wilson sits two and a half miles from the city centre at 5,546 feet, with runways of 5,052 and 4,798 feet, and it is where the light aircraft to the Maasai Mara, Samburu, Lamu and the northern circuit are based. The desk plans the transfer between the two airports as part of the itinerary.
Altitude shapes the departure. At 5,330 feet in a warm city, density altitude on an afternoon departure sits well above the field, so a full-weight departure for Cairo is calculated properly and usually scheduled for the morning.
On the Cairo side, Sphinx is the better private airport for most trips. A single 11,975 foot runway west of the city in Giza, open 24 hours with customs on site, no airport slot, no airline queue, about 35 minutes from downtown and materially cheaper to operate into. Cairo International in Heliopolis earns its place when you are connecting onto a scheduled flight, when the destination is the east of the city, or when the aircraft might need maintenance support, which Sphinx cannot provide. It is slot coordinated with mandatory handling, so the permit, slot and handling are filed together.
You lose an hour in winter. Kenya is on East Africa Time all year, an hour ahead of Egypt in winter and the same clock in summer. A 7 am departure from Sphinx is on the ground in Nairobi around 12:30 local in winter, with the afternoon to spare.
When to go
When is the best time to fly Cairo to Nairobi?
July to October is the migration and the peak for the Mara, with the Christmas and New Year weeks a second peak. Aircraft out of Cairo, parking at Nairobi and light aircraft out of Wilson all tighten at once, and with a three-day permit lead time those dates need firm bookings weeks ahead.
Business flies year round, and outside the peaks a week of notice is comfortable from Cairo once the Kenya permit and the overflights are in hand. The rainy seasons of April to May and November are quieter and easier to book.
Related
Cairo and Nairobi airport guides
Every field this sector uses, with runways, handling, permits and history on its own guide.
Questions
Cairo to Nairobi private jet questions
How long is a private jet flight from Cairo to Nairobi?
About 4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 50 minutes in the air. The sector is 1914 nautical miles from Sphinx to Jomo Kenyatta. An ultra-long-range jet is at the quick end and a super-midsize jet at the slower end; both fly it nonstop.
How far is Cairo from Nairobi by air?
1914 nautical miles, about 2203 statute miles, between Sphinx and Jomo Kenyatta International. Kenya is an hour ahead of Egypt in winter and on the same clock in summer.
Which Nairobi airport do private jets use?
Jomo Kenyatta International for the arrival from Cairo: a 13,507 foot runway, full customs and mandatory handling, about eleven miles from the centre. Wilson, two and a half miles from the centre, is the safari hub where the light aircraft to the Mara leave from, and the desk plans the transfer between them.
Which Cairo airport do private jets use for Nairobi?
Sphinx, west of the city in Giza, for most trips: no slot, no airline queue, about 35 minutes from downtown and cheaper to operate into. Cairo International in Heliopolis when you are connecting from a scheduled flight or the destination is the east of the city.
Which aircraft is best for Cairo to Nairobi?
A super-midsize jet such as a Challenger 350 or Gulfstream G280 for eight or nine, nonstop with margin. A heavy jet such as a Challenger 650 or Gulfstream G450 for ten to twelve with safari luggage, the usual choice in the migration season. An ultra-long-range jet for a larger delegation or a trip continuing beyond Nairobi.
Can a midsize jet fly Cairo to Nairobi?
With a fuel stop, and it is rarely the right money. The sector is nearly 1,900 nautical miles and the departure out of Nairobi is at 5,330 feet, so the desk quotes super-midsize and larger on this route.
What permits does a Cairo to Nairobi private flight need?
The Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority permit for the departure, planned at four business days, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority permit for the arrival, planned at 72 business hours, and overflight clearances for the countries along the route. We file all of them together on every trip. Passengers need passports and the desk confirms Kenya entry requirements.
Does the altitude at Nairobi affect the flight?
It affects the departure. Jomo Kenyatta sits at 5,330 feet in a warm city, so density altitude on an afternoon departure is well above the field. The long runway absorbs much of it, but a full-weight departure for Cairo is calculated properly and usually scheduled for the morning.
Can the same trip continue to the Maasai Mara?
Yes. The jet lands at Jomo Kenyatta and the light aircraft to the Mara, Samburu or Lamu leaves from Wilson, two and a half miles from the centre. The desk arranges both legs and the transfer between them as one itinerary.
What determines the cost of a Cairo to Nairobi private jet?
The aircraft class, whether the trip is a round trip or two one-way flights, the permits and overflights along the route, handling and parking at Nairobi, and the dates against the migration and holiday peaks. We tell you what the quote covers before you book.
Can I fly Nairobi to Cairo on the same page?
Yes. The sector is quoted in both directions. Put Jomo Kenyatta as the departure in the form and the desk handles it the same way, with the Egyptian permit on the Cairo end and the morning departure that suits the altitude.
How much notice do I need to book Cairo to Nairobi?
Allow the permit lead times on a first trip: four business days for Egypt, 72 business hours for Kenya, and the overflights alongside. A week is comfortable outside the peaks. For the migration season and the Christmas weeks, give the desk firm dates weeks ahead.
Get your number
Cairo to Nairobi, quoted from the desk
Give us the dates, the passengers and where in Kenya the trip goes. You will get an aircraft that suits the altitude, every permit and overflight filed and a number you can hold us to.
Get a number for your datesPrefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.