Africa · Egypt

Handling at Cairo (HECA)

We handle overflight permits, slots, flight plans, fuel, customs and the turnaround at Cairo International. One coordinator owns the stop at Cairo, from the first filing to wheels up.

AERODROME

--:-- local

ICAO: HECA
IATA: CAI
Elevation: 322 ft
Position: 30.111, 31.397

RUNWAYS

05R/23L4,000 m / 13,124 ftAsphalt
05C/23C4,000 m / 13,123 ftAsphalt
05L/23R3,300 m / 10,827 ftAsphalt

Reference only, not for flight planning. Lengths are full declared runway length rather than declared distances, and this page is not amended on the AIRAC cycle. Check the current AIP and NOTAMs, or ask the desk and we will check them for you.

The field

What HECA is actually like

Cairo is Egypt's main airport and a major crossroads between Europe, Africa and the Gulf. It handles business aviation routinely and is one of the most-used technical stops on north-south African routings.

Operating brief

What we handle before you file

Permits

Landing and overflight both go through the ECAA, and the documentation they want is substantial. Lead times are real and short-notice approvals should not be assumed.

Slots and parking

A dedicated terminal handles private movements away from the main halls and parking is available. The constraint on a Cairo stop is the permit lead time, never the field, which is why the two get started in the opposite order to most destinations.

Customs and border

Egyptian visas apply and vary by nationality, and arranging them ahead beats processing them on arrival. The difference between the two is measured in hours on the ground.

When it gets tight

The winter tourist season from October through April, and the period around Ramadan and Eid when schedules shift across the region.

On the ground

Off the aircraft and into the car

A dedicated terminal handles private movements and the airside experience is fine. The drive into Cairo is the unpredictable part and no estimate survives contact with the city. Give passengers a range rather than a time.

Alternates

Where we go when HECA will not take the trip

Every one of these is a field we would put to you with the reason attached, not a list of nearby runways.

HESH
Sharm el-Sheikh
The Red Sea, and where a lot of the leisure traffic is actually heading.
HEGN
Hurghada
The other Red Sea gateway, with capacity and full facilities.
HEBA
Borg El Arab, Alexandria
The Mediterranean coast, quieter than Cairo, and a straightforward technical stop.

What we handle here