Cairo International Airport (CAI) is the largest and busiest airport in Egypt, located in Heliopolis about fifteen kilometres northeast of Cairo's business district. Covering roughly 37 square kilometres, it functions as the primary regional aviation hub for EgyptAir and Nile Air while handling millions of passengers each year across three parallel runways.
The airport complex is organised across distinct passenger terminals that accommodate domestic, international, and seasonal traffic. Terminal 3 operates as the largest facility, serving as the central hub for EgyptAir and its Star Alliance partners, while Terminal 2 works alongside it as part of an integrated complex built to host wide-body aircraft.
01 Terminals & concourses
Inaugurated in 1963, Terminal 1 is the airport's oldest operating terminal. It features a renovated ground floor and an expanded departure hall with a mezzanine floor to maximize natural light.
Originally opened in 1986, Terminal 2 underwent extensive redevelopment and reopened in 2016. It features 14 boarding gates capable of handling wide-body aircraft like the Airbus A380.
Opened for commercial operations in 2009, Terminal 3 is the largest terminal at the airport. It acts as the primary hub for EgyptAir and Star Alliance members, featuring direct connectivity to Terminal 2 and a skyway link to an on-site hotel.
Designed with 27 check-in counters and 7 gates, this facility eases operational strains during pilgrim seasons. Passengers use a single security concept and are bussed to remote stands around Terminal 3.
Airport map
The free OpenStreetMap layer below shows the whole airport — terminals, concourses, access roads and the parking garages. Zoom in for gate-level detail.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL, free). Official gate/terminal maps are copyrighted — we link to them.
02 Which terminal does my airline use?
Airlines are grouped by alliance and region. Always confirm the concourse printed on your boarding pass — assignments can change seasonally.
Show all airlines by terminal ›
Grouped by terminal — check the concourse on your boarding pass before you fly; assignments can change seasonally.
Lost, delayed or damaged baggage at CAI
If your checked bag doesn't turn up on the belt, act before you leave the baggage-claim area — that's where every airline keeps its Baggage Service Office.
- Go to your airline's Baggage Service Office in the baggage-claim hall of your arrival terminal.
- File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and get your file reference (WorldTracer) number. Keep your bag-tag receipt and boarding pass.
- Track it online using that reference on your airline's baggage-tracking page — most bags are located within 24–48 hours.
- Claim your essentials. On delayed bags airlines reimburse reasonable interim purchases (toiletries, clothing) — keep receipts. International trips are covered by the Montreal Convention.
- If it's truly lost (generally after 21 days) or damaged, file the claim at the same office — damage must be reported before you leave the airport.
Left something in the terminal (not a checked bag)? That's handled by the airport Lost & Found. Items left at a TSA security checkpoint are held by the TSA, not the airline.
03 Getting to & from CAI
These are the ground-transport options connecting the airport with the city. Fares and schedules change — check the operator before you travel.
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| bus | Shuttle bus connects passenger terminals to the Cairo Airport Bus Terminal for public routes to Tahrir Square and Abbasia. |
| people mover | Moving walkway located inside the 230-metre skyway connecting Terminal 3 to the Le Méridien hotel. |
| road | Accessible via Oroba Road from Heliopolis or the new road linking Terminal 3 to the Ring Road and Suez Road. |
| road | Fixed-price curb-side limousine services, regular digital-metered White taxis, and ride-sharing services like Uber are available. |
