Airport with UK flights to get new terminal in a huge boost for millions of passengers
AN AIRPORT in Africa has revealed its huge expansion plans, which include a brand-new terminal.
Cairo International Airport in Egypt is set to benefit from a brand-new terminal in the coming years.
The huge expansion will feature Terminal 4, a new terminal at the airport, as well as a new parking area covered with solar panels.
Access to road networks will also be improved under the plans.
According to Arab News, Travel technology firm Pangiam will design and build the terminal, with a feasibility study underway.
Construction work hasn’t started on the expansion at Cairo International Airport, although the project is expected to take four to five years to complete.
Once operational, the Egyptian airport will be able to handle up to 30million passengers each year – up from 26million.
This figure could even rise to 40million passengers, with further expansion in the future.
At the time of writing, no new routes have been announced.
First announced back in 2022, the country’s Prime Minister, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, provided an update on the ambitious project earlier this month.
He said: “Airport development works come within the framework of presidential directives to upgrade the Egyptian airport system, raise its capacity and improve the level of services provided to passengers”.
Mohamed Abbas Helmy, the Minister of Civil Aviation, added: “We seek to make the Cairo International Airport able to compete with the most modern international airports, so that Egypt will become Africa’s first gateway for passenger and air cargo movement and a major hub for global trade movement and benefit from its distinguished strategic location between Africa, Asia and Europe.”
While most holidaymakers heading to Egypt visit resort towns on the Red Sea Coast, there are plenty of things to see and do in Cairo.
One of those places is the Grand Egyptian Museum, which opened to the public in October.
The huge museum is home to more than 100,000 artefacts, making it the largest archaeological museum complex in the world.
It’s located just 2km away from the Pyramids of Giza – the only remaining wonder of the ancient world.
Holidaymakers wishing to visit the pyramids can book themselves onto guided tours, with prices starting from £29 per person.
Other attractions include the Egyptian Museum, the Museum of Islamic Art, and the Al Azhar Mosque.
Egypt is two hours ahead of the UK, and its official language is Arabic – although English will be widely spoken at hotels and tourist sites.
The local currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP) with £10 around 367 EGP.
Your passport will need to have at least 6 months left on it when you arrive in Cairo, and you will need a visa too.
Egypt is home to plenty of winter sun spots too including the resort town of El Gouna.
El Gouna is a 30-minute drive away from Hurghada Airport, and it boasts a warm 24C in the winter.
A new terminal at Cairo International Airport isn't the only expansion underway in Egypt, with the country building a huge waterfront development.
Ras El Hekma is a new waterfront mega project being built in Egypt, which will be twice the size of Barcelona.
The new development will be on the North Coast of Egypt between Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh.
It will also be just a few hours from Cairo, with plans to have both flights and cruise ships from Europe.
This means a new international airport will be built, along with a cruise terminal and high speed rail links.
Brits can currently fly to Cairo in just under five hours, with flights to the development expected to be slightly shorter.
Resorts expected to be built there include Accor – who own Ibis and Novotel – and Ennismore.
The luxury golf courses will be created by Valderrama, one of the most famous golf resorts in the world.
The main waterfront area will be the tourist resort with a main downtown that has beach resorts, public beaches and “coastal communities”.
You can read more about the huge new development, here.
Last year, EgyptAir launched new flights from Manchester to Cairo.
Meanwhile, last autumn, low-cost airline easyJet launched flights from London Luton Airport to Cairo.