Air Cairo
Egyptian airline
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Air Cairo is an airline based in Cairo, Egypt.[4] The airline is part owned by Egyptair. Air Cairo operates scheduled flights to the Middle East and Europe and also operates charter flights to Egypt from Europe on behalf of tour operators. Its bases are Cairo International Airport, Sharm El Sheikh International Airport and Hurghada International Airport with the company head office located in the Sheraton Heliopolis Zone.[5]
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.jpg) Air Cairo Airbus A320neo landing at Berlin Brandenburg Airport | |||||||
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| Founded | 2003 | ||||||
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Operating bases | |||||||
| Fleet size | 40 | ||||||
| Destinations | 61[1] | ||||||
| Parent company |
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| Headquarters | Cairo, Egypt | ||||||
| Key people | Hussein Sherif (Chairman & CEO)[2] | ||||||
| Employees | 500[3] | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
History
The airline was established in 2003. It is owned by Egyptair (60%) and 360 Investments (40%).[citation needed]
Recently, the company is re-modeling towards the low fare model which is planned to be the strongest low fare airline in Egypt. On 1 June 2012 Air Cairo launched its first ever scheduled flight from Borg El Arab Airport Alexandria to Kuwait International Airport, Queen Alia International Airport, King Abdulaziz International Airport, Tripoli International Airport, Sabha Airport, Misrata Airport and King Khaled International Airport. Air Cairo also launched its scheduled flights from Hurghada International Airport to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, but those flights were suspended in the end of December 2015.[6]
On 5 November 2018, it was reported that the German aviation authority had banned Air Cairo - along with FlyEgypt - from flying to Germany, where it operated on behalf of German tour operators, due to regulatory violations.[7] Shortly afterward major European tour operators such as Thomas Cook Group and TUI Group announced they would end their contracts with Air Cairo and FlyEgypt.[8] Germany lifted its ban on 21 December.[9]
In March 2019, it was reported that the airline would be leasing Embraer 170 aircraft for operations on the airline's domestic routes within Egypt.[10]
In March 2021, Air Cairo announced it was to make a major push into the German-speaking market, having signed a sales cooperation agreement with SunExpress to market and manage up to 30 flights per week to the Red Sea resort of Hurghada from 14 airports in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Under the agreement, SunExpress would take care of all flight planning, revenue management, and sales, with Air Cairo operating the flights. In the course of the partnership, SunExpress and Air Cairo planned to expand the venture to other airports outside of German-speaking countries, SunExpress said in a statement. Air Cairo chairman and chief executive officer Hussein Sherif said the Benelux countries would be targeted next. The aim of the sales push was to boost tourism to Egypt to pre-Covid-19 levels.[11]
In October 2024, Air Cairo and Egyptair signed a codeshare agreement, integrating the two carriers' networks more closely.[12] Earlier that year, in March 2024, the airline had appointed Captain Ahmed Shanan as chairman and managing director,[13] and by August 2024 it had taken delivery of its 25th Airbus, raising the total fleet to 34 aircraft.[14]
During 2025, Air Cairo pursued an aggressive fleet-expansion programme. It agreed to lease four additional Airbus A320s from Macquarie AirFinance for delivery during the year and secured three Airbus A320neos for 2026, aiming to reach about 45 aircraft by the end of 2026.[15][16] The carrier described its longer-term goal as roughly doubling the fleet to as many as 72 aircraft by 2029–2030, built around the A320neo, while evaluating the larger A321neo for longer-range leisure routes.[17] In June 2025 it partnered with Acron Aviation to roll out a flight-data-monitoring system across its A320, ATR 72 and E190 fleet.[16]
In November 2025, Air Cairo named Hussein Sherif as chairman of the board and chief executive officer, succeeding Captain Ahmed Shanan; Sherif had previously led the airline during an earlier period of fleet growth.[2]
For the winter 2026–2027 season, Air Cairo expanded into the Nordic market, announcing new services from Oslo to both Cairo and Hurghada from late October 2026, operated with Airbus A320-family aircraft.[18] Ahead of the 2026 Hajj season the airline also broadened its pilgrimage charter network, launching flights to Saudi Arabia from Italy, Germany and Niger, with operational support from Egyptair.[19]
Destinations
As of June 2026[update], Air Cairo operates scheduled services - without leisure charters - to the following airports:[1]
Codeshare agreements
Air Cairo has a codeshare agreement with Egyptair, signed in October 2024.[61][12]
In addition, Air Cairo has a sales cooperation agreement with SunExpress to market and manage up to 30 flights per week to the Red Sea resort of Hurghada from 14 airports in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.[22]
Fleet
As of February 2026[update], Air Cairo operates the following aircraft:[17][62]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 13 | — | 174 | Four delivered in 2025[15] | |
| Airbus A320neo | 18[63] | — | 186 | Further deliveries due in 2026[15] | |
| ATR 72-600 | 6[64] | — | 70 | ||
| Embraer 190 | 3[65] | — | 110 | ||
| Total | 40 | — | |||
