London to Cairo
Private Jet Charter
London to Cairo is about four and a half hours in the air, 1897 nautical miles from Farnborough to Sphinx, the private airport west of the city in Giza, on a super-midsize or heavy jet. Egypt is a permits market before it is an airport market, and the four business days for the permit set the timetable. You land two hours later on the clock.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 11 September 2026
Route overview
Airport and airspace facts checked against the UK AIP (NATS) publications and Icarus Jet operations data.
Get your number
Get a number for your dates
Tell us the dates, the passengers and whether the trip continues to Luxor, the Red Sea or the Gulf. The desk quotes London to Cairo every week, files the Egypt permit, and tells you which aircraft flies it nonstop with margin before you book.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203. The desk is staffed 24/7.
The route
Why fly private from London to Cairo?
London to Cairo is the Egypt sector on our desk: 1897 nautical miles, about four and a half hours across Europe and the Mediterranean, and a landing at the private airport in Giza rather than the airline hub in Heliopolis. Business, the winter season on the Nile and the Red Sea, and the Gulf trips that stage through Cairo all fly it, and the Egyptian permit is the one thing that sets the timetable.
Why private works here
Leave Farnborough from a terminal built for private passengers and land at Sphinx, 35 minutes from downtown Cairo and 23 miles from the Pyramids, with no airline queue and customs at the aircraft. The scheduled alternative from London lands at Cairo International in Heliopolis, on the far side of the city from Giza. Private lands you at Sphinx after four and a half hours in a cabin you chose, and the next morning the same aircraft flies on to Luxor or the Red Sea on the one permit file.
Aircraft fit
At 1897 nautical miles London to Cairo is the longest sector on the London desk, four and a half hours with a winter fortnight of luggage aboard, and the desk quotes a heavy jet first for a family: ten to twelve seats, a galley that serves a meal, and room to rest across Europe and the Mediterranean. A super-midsize jet is the quote for eight or nine on business, nonstop with fuel in hand. Midsize jets are at the edge of their range from Farnborough with a full cabin and are quoted only after the winds are checked, often with a stop in the plan. Nothing lighter is quoted nonstop.
Advisor note
Egypt requires a landing permit from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority for every private and charter flight, and we plan on four business days with a complete file. That is the lead time on this sector, not the aircraft. Sphinx has no slot and runs 24 hours; Cairo International is slot coordinated with mandatory handling and earns its place only when you are connecting or the aircraft might need maintenance, which Sphinx cannot provide.
Icarus Jet charter deskCost
What determines the cost of a London to Cairo private jet charter?
A four-and-a-half-hour international sector is priced on the aircraft, the trip shape, the permit, the airports at both ends and the dates. These are the things that move the number on London to Cairo.
Aircraft class
Super-midsize and heavy jets fly it nonstop from Farnborough. On four and a half hours the heavy cabin earns its price for a family: the galley, the width and the luggage hold matter more here than on any other London sector.
Round trip or two one-ways
A fortnight on the Nile or the Red Sea is two one-way flights, with the aircraft released in between. A few days of meetings can keep it at Sphinx, which has the ramp. The desk quotes both shapes and says which is cleaner.
The Egypt permit
Egypt requires a landing permit from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority for private and charter flights, domestic legs included. We plan on four business days and file it with the registration, insurance, AOC and crew details, and a specific stated purpose of flight. It is routine, and it is the one thing that cannot be fixed the day before.
The Cairo airport
Sphinx has no slot, runs 24 hours and is materially cheaper to land at than Cairo International, which adds a slot and mandatory handling. Choose Cairo International only for an airline connection or maintenance cover; the airport moves the drive as well as the number.
The London end
Luton and London City need ACL Level 3 slots, enforced with penalties. Farnborough and Biggin Hill need prior permission and keep their own hours. The desk files whichever the field needs with the trip, and picks the field for the address and the aircraft.
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 London to Cairo?
Only the longer-legged half of the Icarus brokered fleet is quoted nonstop from London. These are the three quoted most on London to Cairo.
Challenger 350 and Gulfstream G280 class
Eight or nine on business, nonstop from Farnborough with fuel in hand, and a galley for the four and a half hours.
Challenger 650 and Gulfstream G450 class
Ten to twelve, a family and its winter luggage, a meal on board and room to rest. The first quote for a Nile or Red Sea fortnight.
Gulfstream G650 and Global 6000 class
Up to fourteen in the widest cabin, for a larger party or a trip that continues from Cairo to the Gulf or East Africa.
Midsize jets are quoted with the winds checked and often with a technical stop in the plan. See the jets we broker for the full range by cabin class.
Before you fly
What should I know before flying London to Cairo?
It is an international flight, so bring passports for everyone aboard. The desk files the crew and passenger details with the trip and confirms each passenger's entry requirements for Egypt before departure. Customs is cleared at the aircraft at both ends.
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.
On the London side, the field follows the address and the aircraft. Farnborough, 35 miles south west, is a dedicated business aviation airport with no slots and prior permission from its single operator, closing at 2200 on weekdays and 2000 at weekends. Luton, 30 miles north with rail to St Pancras, handles more private movements than any London airport under an enforced Level 3 slot. Biggin Hill, inside the M25, has no slots, the longest hours and a six-minute helicopter to Battersea. London City, six miles from the Square Mile, takes only steep-approach certified light and midsize types and closes from Saturday lunchtime to Sunday midday.
You lose two hours on the way there. Egypt is two hours ahead of London all year, in both summer and winter clocks. A 9 am departure from Farnborough is on the ground at Sphinx around 3:30 pm local, with the evening in Cairo.
When to go
When is the best time to fly London to Cairo?
October to April is the season from London, when the English winter is the reason to go and Cairo, the Nile and the Red Sea are at their best. Christmas, New Year and the February half term are the weeks when heavy jets out of London run short, so fix those dates a couple of weeks ahead of the four business days the permit needs.
The Cairo summer is hot and the airports are quiet. Business flies year round, and once the Egyptian permit is filed a week of notice from London is comfortable.
Related
London and Cairo airport guides
The four London fields, Sphinx and Cairo International, each with runway, slot, handling and history on its own guide.
Questions
London to Cairo private jet questions
How long is a private jet flight from London to Cairo?
About 4 hours 10 minutes to 4 hours 45 minutes in the air. The sector is 1897 nautical miles from Farnborough to Sphinx. 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 London from Cairo by air?
1897 nautical miles, about 2183 statute miles, between Farnborough and Sphinx International. Egypt is two hours ahead of London all year, so a four-and-a-half-hour block lands six and a half hours later on the local clock. The routing across Europe and the Mediterranean and the winds on the day move the figure by a few minutes.
Which Cairo airport do private jets from London use?
Sphinx, west of the city in Giza, for most trips: no slot, 24 hours, customs on site, about 35 minutes from downtown and cheaper to operate into. Cairo International in Heliopolis when you are connecting onto a scheduled flight or the aircraft might need maintenance support.
Which London airport do private jets use for Cairo?
Farnborough for most Cairo trips: a dedicated business aviation airport with no slots and a terminal built for a long-haul departure, 35 miles south west of the centre. Luton takes the sector too under a Level 3 slot. London City is out, because the sector needs a larger aircraft than its runway takes. The London airport guides cover each field.
Do I need a permit to fly a private jet to Egypt?
The operator does. Egypt requires a landing permit from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority for private and charter flights, and we plan on four business days with a complete file. Passengers need passports and the desk confirms Egypt entry requirements for each nationality.
Which aircraft is best for London to Cairo?
A heavy jet, Challenger 650 or Gulfstream G450 class, for ten to twelve is the first quote for a family fortnight. A super-midsize jet, Challenger 350 or Gulfstream G280 class, for eight or nine on business, nonstop with margin. An ultra-long-range jet for a larger party or a trip that continues from Cairo to the Gulf or East Africa.
Can a midsize jet fly London to Cairo nonstop?
With a light load, sometimes. With a full cabin against a headwind the desk plans a technical stop or quotes a super-midsize jet instead. It checks the winds before it quotes.
Can I continue from Cairo to Luxor or the Red Sea on the same aircraft?
Yes. The Egyptian permit covers the domestic legs, and a Cairo, Luxor, Aswan or Red Sea itinerary flies on one aircraft with one permit file. The desk quotes it as a single trip.
What determines the cost of a London to Cairo private jet?
The aircraft class, whether the trip is two one-way flights or a round trip, the Egyptian permit, which Cairo airport and its handling, the London field and its slot or permission, and the dates against the October to April season. We tell you what the quote covers before you book.
Can I fly Cairo to London on the same page?
Yes. The sector is quoted in both directions. Put Sphinx or Cairo International as the departure in the form and the desk handles it the same way, with the London slot or permission filed for the arrival.
What is the time difference between London and Cairo?
Two hours all year. Egypt is UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer; London is UTC+0 and UTC+1 on the same dates, so the gap holds on both clocks. In practice a 9 am departure from Farnborough is on the ground at Sphinx around 3:30 pm local, and you gain the two hours back on the return.
How much notice do I need to book London to Cairo?
Four business days for the Egyptian permit on any trip. Outside the winter holidays a week from London is comfortable; for Christmas, New Year and half term, fix the dates a couple of weeks ahead so the heavy jet and the permit are confirmed. With a permit filed and the London slot held, the crew call-out is about three hours.
Other routes
Other routes from the London desk
Sectors the same desk quotes every week, each with its own guide to the airports, the aircraft and the timing.
Get your number
London to Cairo, quoted from the desk
Give us the dates, the passengers and where the trip goes after Cairo. You will get an aircraft that flies it nonstop with margin, the permit 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, or send the trip online. The desk is staffed 24/7.