One of the World's Pioneer Airlines

One of the oldest airlines in the world, EgyptAir has a proud history dating as far back as the 1930s. Today, the Egyptian national airline operates from the Cairo International Airport, offering services to as many as 81 local and international destinations.

The airline was established in 1932 by Alan Muntz, the chairman of Airwork, and was originally named Misr Airwork (Misr being the Egyptian word for Egypt). By 1933, the airline was operating commercial services between Cairo and Alexandria. From this point forward the airline grew from strength to strength, gradually adding routes and aircraft until 1960, when it merged with Syrian Airlines and became United Arab Airlines or UAA. By 1971 this partnership came to an end and the airline was renamed EgyptAir.

Once again, the airline continued to grow, continuously adding more routes and expanding their fleet. In July of 2008, the airline joined the largest airline alliance in the world, Star Alliance. This move would allow them to offer their customers an even greater selection of destinations and more comfortable travel. Today, the airline employs around 9000 people and serves an estimated 8.6 million passengers annually. The current EgyptAir fleet is made up of 70 of the latest generation aircraft for long, medium and short-haul flights, including the newest Airbus A330-300.

Flying with EgyptAir

The airline offers both Economy and Business Class travel on all routes. Some of the older long-haul aircraft still have a First Class cabin, but the services offered are on par with what one could expect from today's Business Class standards.

As the airline is also constantly upgrading their fleet, some of the older aircraft will not have all the modern amenities travellers may expect. For instance, long-haul Business Class flights on the new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offer 49 flatbed seats with laptop power and in-flight entertainment can be enjoyed on a personal 15-inch screen. By comparison, older aircraft offer Business Class passengers cradle-style seats with limited recline. Passengers should check the individual aircraft types for exact specifications when booking.

While passengers can generally expect a good standard of service on all flights, it is important to mention that no alcohol is served. However, the airline will supply mixers if passengers want to bring their own alcohol on board.

The airline also has a loyalty programme called EgyptAir Plus, which rewards members every time they book with the carrier or any Stair Alliance partner airline. The loyalty programme is a tiered system that offers members several benefits including additional luggage allowance.

Practical Information

• Check-in for international flights is open three hours before the scheduled departure time and closes 60 minutes before departure.
• Check-in for domestic flights opens two hours before the scheduled departure time and closes 30 minutes before departure.
• Passengers can make use of the online check-in service from up to 48 hours before scheduled departure time.
• Passengers who have checked in online and have only cabin baggage can proceed directly to the boarding gates. (Please note, there are some restrictions -- some cities have special requirements concerning checking-in online. For more information on online check-in, go to here
• Passengers have a generous hold luggage allowance: two pieces of luggage weighing no more than 23 kg a piece for economy class and 32 kg for business class.