Cairo Airport Terminals

No matter which of the three terminals you use at Cairo International Airport – which is also known as CAI, its International Air Transport Association code, or just as Cairo Airport – you will find that there’s a decent mix of services, amenities and other facilities for all travelers.

Top details to learn about Cairo Airport’s terminals

Cairo Airport offers connecting flights to destinations within Egypt and around the world, departing from four terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3 and a Seasonal Terminal. Which of the buildings you use will depend on where you are flying in from or out to.

The four terminals are very large and the entire airport complex takes up many thousands of square feet. You can locate Terminal 1 to the north of Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, whereas the Seasonal Terminal is situated on the western side of Terminal 3.

All of the terminals have the same standard amenities and other features that passengers expect, including cafes, places to get beverages, shops and more.

One great feature of Cairo Airport is that it provides a free people mover shuttle that can transport travelers at no cost between the terminals throughout the day. The people mover shuttle is entirely automated, which means that it does not have a human driver.

If you would like some extra comfort and amenities to relax before your flight home, there are some airport lounges available in the terminals, as detailed below.

Note that some of these lounges might require that you have a pre-existing membership in order to access their services, whereas other lounges should let you buy access for a few hours on the day of your flight. However, if the airport is particularly busy – for example if it’s the early afternoon and there are many flights leaving – then some of these lounges might reach their capacity for passengers, and if that happens you won’t be able to buy same-day access.

Facts to discover about Cairo Airport Terminal 1

There are 12 gates in Terminal 1, which has both an arrivals and a departures section, along with a baggage claim location for flights that have just landed at the airport.

The arrivals section that includes passport control can be found on the first floor, while the departures section where you’ll check in for your flight home at one of 12 gates is situated on the second floor. This terminal also has Hall 4, which is solely for use by private hire jet planes.

The following airlines currently operate out of Terminal 1:

Air Arabia,
Air Cairo,
Air Go,
Air Leisure,
Alexandria Airlines,
Almasria Universal,
AMC, Aviator,
Badr Airline,
Cairo Aviation,
Eritrean Airways,
Fly Baghdad,
Fly Egypt,
Fly Nas,
Iraqi Airways,
Meridiana Fly,
National Air,
Nesma Air,
Nile Air,
Petrolium Aviation Service,
Privilege,
Smart Aviation,
Sudan Airways,
Syrian Air,
Tarco Air,
Tunis Air,
Yemenia Airways,
Jordan Aviation and Royal Wings.

Airport lounges in Terminal 1:

The only lounge that is available in this terminal is the First Class Lounge, which is open every day of the week and 24 hours a day.

Facts to discover about Cairo Airport Terminal 2

Many international flights from countries in Europe, as well as Asia, South America, North America and other popular destinations fly in and out of Terminal 2 at Cairo Airport.

This terminal was constructed in the late 1970s and inaugurated for passenger use in 1986. It has three different floors, with dozens of check-in desks and gates for flight departures.

These are the airlines that currently are operating from Terminal 2:

Air France,
Alitalia, British Airways,
China Airlines,
Emirates Airlines,
Egypt Air,
Etihad Airways,
Gulf Air,
Jazeera Airways,
Kuwait Airways,
Middle East Airlines,
Oman Air,
Royal Air Maroc,
Royal Jordanian,
Russian Airlines,
Saudia,
Transavia France
Ukraine International Airlines.

Airport lounges in Terminal 2:

You’ll find several lounges in this terminal, including the Ahlein Premium Lounge, the First Class Lounge, the Emirates Lounge, the Pearl Assist Lounge and the Saudia Al-Fursan Golden Lounge, with many of these lounges open 24/7 each week.

Facts to discover about Cairo Airport Terminal 3

Terminal 3 is the largest in size of the terminal buildings at Cairo Airport, and it processes many flights to and from locations both within Egypt and also to places around the world.
More than 11 million passengers travel through this terminal every year, and it features at least 23 individual gates for departing flights, and the departures area is situated on the first floor. If your flight is arriving into Cairo Airport then you will find baggage claim on the second floor.

You can find these airlines providing regular flights from Terminal 3, offering connections around the globe:

Aegean Airlines,
Austrian Airlines,
Egypt Air,
Ethiopian Airlines,
Lot Polish Airlines,
Lufthansa Airlines,
Swiss International Airlines
Turkish Airlines.

Airport lounges in Terminal 3:

Just like the lounges in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, many of these lounges are open to travelers 24 hours a day, seven days a week – but some are open for fewer hours. The lounges that are available in this terminal include Alioth, Almesian, Elteir Lounge, Gienah Lounge, the First Class Lounge and the Egypt Air Kochab Smoking Lounge.

Facts to discover about Cairo Airport Seasonal Terminal

Also known as the Hajj Terminal, this is the newest of the four Cairo Airport terminals and was officially inaugurated on September 20, 2011. This terminal was built to handle the extra traffic that can occur during months when people are traveling in the region for religious pilgrimages.

The terminal has a capacity for about 3.2 million passengers, processing about 1,200 travelers every hour, with the primary flight on offer being EgyptAir’s connections to Medina and Jeddah.
Airport lounges in the Seasonal Terminal: There are no lounges available in this terminal, but you could enjoy a lounge in another terminal and then use the people mover to get here when it’s time for you to board your departing flight back to your home country.