CAI · Cairo, Egypt
Cairo International Airport.
--:--:-- · EEST (UTC+03:00) · 30.1115° N, 31.3967° E
Cairo International Airport
International airport serving Cairo, Egypt
Verification trail
Source-backed facts for CAI
This section separates stable airport identifiers from live operating data. Codes, coordinates, timezone, elevation, source identifiers, and accepted reference links are retained here; live arrivals, departures, gates, delays, NOTAMs, and airline schedule changes must still be checked with the airport or carrier.
Airport catalog
OurAirports ID 3183; ident HECA; scheduled service listed.
Cached airports.csv snapshot: 2026-04-25; runways.csv snapshot: 2026-05-21.
Official airport source
cairo-airport.com
Used as the preferred live-reference handoff for terminals, gates, alerts, and airport notices.
Open sourceReference summary
Cairo International Airport
Airport-shaped reference summary from en.wikipedia.org; summary snapshot 2026-05-20.
Open sourceManual / derived signals
19 source-backed signals
Merged from OurAirports cached airports.csv, OurAirports cached runways.csv, Wikidata airport entity snapshot, airport-shaped Wikipedia summary snapshot; facts generated 2026-05-21.
IATA / ICAO
CAI / HECA
OurAirports ident
HECA
GPS / local code
HECA
ISO region
EG-C
Scheduled service
Listed in source snapshot
Role
international scheduled-service gateway
Official host
cairo-airport.com
Reference host
en.wikipedia.org
Wikidata entity
Q461793
Snapshot generated
2026-05-21
Airport lookup keys
Stable codes
Regional keys
Nearby airport codes
Route reference codes
Accepted citation URLs
Last updated May 21, 2026. Stable airport identifiers and timezone facts are content-reviewed; clocks render live in the browser, while weather and time-difference notes are page-snapshot aids rather than permanent airport records.
Live values rendered at Nov 5, 7:08 PM UTC.
What you need to know now
Local airport time
--:--:--EEST · UTC+03:00
Time zone
EEST
Africa/Cairo · UTC+03:00
Airfield conditions
Live airport weather is temporarily unavailable.
Surface access
15 km
Approximate distance to central Cairo.
Airport Snapshot
Country capital
Cairo
Languages
Arabic
Currency
EGP (£)
Country area
1,002,450 km²
Passenger volume
Source note unavailable
Terminals
Not clearly stated
Runways
3 runways
Longest runway
13,124 ft / 4,000 m
Runway surface
asphalt (3)
Opened / operator
Q12218696
Owner / entity
Q461793
Hub airlines
Nile Air, several other airlines
Airport role
international scheduled-service gateway
Scheduled service
Listed
Fact coverage
19 source-backed signals
Cairo International Airport is a international scheduled-service gateway for Cairo, Egypt. Cairo's built-up core sits roughly 15 km from the terminal area. Operations run on Africa/Cairo (UTC+03:00, EEST). Live weather is temporarily unavailable. With 3 other indexable airports in its surrounding network, it works well as a reference point for regional flight planning and timezone checks.
Cairo International Airport (CAI / HECA) is at 30.1115° N, 31.3967° E, elevation 322 ft (98 m), serving Cairo, Egypt.
The accepted reference summary is used as supporting context for the airport identity and operating notes; the timed facts here still come from the airport catalog, timezone database, country snapshot, and linked source trail.
Cairo is in Egypt (capital Cairo); on Africa/Cairo (EEST, UTC+03:00); working languages: Arabic; currency: EGP (£).
Distance from central Cairo: 15 km.
Airport context brief
A compact traveler-facing brief from the airport catalog, country snapshot, route geometry, city anchors, peer airports, and source trail for CAI.
Name and identity cues
Primary airport name
Cairo International Airport (CAI / HECA)
Cairo International Airport · International airport serving Cairo, Egypt
Source identifiers
HECA · HECA · EG-C
cairo-airport.com · en.wikipedia.org · scheduled service yes
Source-specific airport notes
Regional role cue
Cairo International Airport is a major international airport serving Cairo and its metropolitan area.
Accepted from the airport reference trail as a role-specific cue for CAI; not treated as a live service guarantee.
Location cue
The airport is located in Heliopolis, to the northeast of Cairo around fifteen kilometres from the business area of the city and has an area of approximately 37 km2 (14 sq mi).
Used to make the airport page location-specific beyond the code, coordinate, and timezone record.
Closest mapped city anchors
1. Al Qāhirah al Jadīdah
al-qahirah-al-jadidah · 9.0 km from CAI
Egypt · Africa/Cairo · +0h · population 313,139 · city coordinates 30.0421, 31.4445
2. Al Khuşūş
al-khusus · 9.1 km from CAI
Egypt · Africa/Cairo · +0h · population 488,904 · city coordinates 30.1529, 31.3150
3. Madīnat an Naşr
madinat-an-nasr · 11 km from CAI
Egypt · Africa/Cairo · +0h · population 668,413 · city coordinates 30.0667, 31.3000
4. Ḩadā’iq al Qubbah
hada-iq-al-qubbah · 11 km from CAI
Egypt · Africa/Cairo · +0h · population 339,612 · city coordinates 30.0884, 31.2835
5. Al Khānkah
al-khankah · 11 km from CAI
Egypt · Africa/Cairo · +0h · population 81,646 · city coordinates 30.2103, 31.3681
6. New Cairo
new-cairo · 11 km from CAI
Egypt · Africa/Cairo · +0h · population 313,139 · city coordinates 30.0300, 31.4700
Airport alternatives in the retained graph
1. SPX HESX
Sphinx International Airport · Al Jiza
48 km from CAI · Africa/Cairo · +0h · elevation 510 ft (155 m) · airport coordinates 30.1082, 30.8957
2. HBE HEAX
Alexandria International Airport · Alexandria
187 km from CAI · Africa/Cairo · +0h · elevation 171 ft (52 m) · airport coordinates 30.9325, 29.6964
3. ADJ OJAM
Marka International (Amman Civil) Airport · Amman
484 km from CAI · Asia/Amman · +1h · elevation 2,555 ft (779 m) · airport coordinates 31.9727, 35.9916
Route-time reference set
1. CAI-SPX
Al Jiza · 48 km · 54m
Africa/Cairo · +0h from CAI; reference route only, not a live schedule.
2. CAI-HBE
Alexandria · 187 km · 1h 4m
Africa/Cairo · +0h from CAI; reference route only, not a live schedule.
3. CAI-ADJ
Amman · 484 km · 1h 27m
Asia/Amman · +1h from CAI; reference route only, not a live schedule.
Runway source evidence
Published runway count
3 runways
Longest runway 13,124 ft / 4,000 m. 3 lighted runways in the runway snapshot.
Runway surface mix
asphalt (3)
Surface labels are normalized from the OurAirports runway rows for CAI.
Runway identifiers
05C/23C · 05L/23R · 05R/23L
Identifier pairs are retained as airport-specific runway cues, not live operational availability claims.
Same-country airport context
1. SPX HESX
Sphinx International Airport · Al Jiza · 48 km from CAI
large airport · Africa/Cairo · egypt · 510 ft (155 m) · 30.1082, 30.8957
2. HBE HEAX
Alexandria International Airport · Alexandria · 187 km from CAI
large airport · Africa/Cairo · egypt · 171 ft (52 m) · 30.9325, 29.6964
Accepted operational notes
Source note 1
It is the largest and busiest airport in Egypt.
Retained as a source-backed local role note for CAI.
Source note 2
The airport serves as the primary hub for EgyptAir and Nile Air as well as several other airlines.
Retained as a source-backed local role note for CAI.
Source note 3
It is the busiest airport in Africa and the 9th busiest airport in the Middle East in terms of total passengers.
Retained as a source-backed local role note for CAI.
Country and authority
CAI sits in Egypt (Arab Republic of Egypt), whose capital is Cairo. No specific civil-aviation authority label is attached in the current map, so this page avoids inventing one. Country context: Africa, Northern Africa.
Traveler context
Common country-language signals: Arabic. Currency context: EGP (£). CAI is listed with scheduled service in the airport source snapshot.
Reference description
International airport serving Cairo, Egypt. This description is used only as identity context; live flight status, terminal assignment, and airport alerts still belong to the official airport or airline source.
Source-specific cues
Regional role cue: Cairo International Airport is a major international airport serving Cairo and its metropolitan area. Location cue: The airport is located in Heliopolis, to the northeast of Cairo around fifteen kilometres from the business area of the city and has an area of approximately 37 km2 (14 sq mi).
Entity fingerprint
Wikidata airport entity: Q461793 · Cairo International Airport. Administrative area: Cairo Governorate. Named after: Cairo · Cairo Governorate
Field and clock profile
Cairo International Airport is a low-elevation field at 322 ft (98 m), positioned at 30.1115° N, 31.3967° E in the Northern subtropics. The runway snapshot lists 3 runways and a longest runway of 13,124 ft / 4,000 m. The airport clock uses Africa/Cairo (EEST, UTC+03:00), so cross-date arrivals should be checked against this zone rather than the airline origin city.
City and airport alternatives
Al Qāhirah al Jadīdah is the closest retained city-time anchor at 9.0 km. SPX Al Jiza is the closest retained airport alternative at 48 km.
Country airport peers
CAI is compared with SPX Al Jiza at 48 km, HBE Alexandria at 187 km inside the retained Egypt airport set, which is useful when backup airports share the same country context but differ by city, route network, and clock behavior.
Route geometry
CAI-SPX Al Jiza: 48 km, about 54m, +0h. CAI-HBE Alexandria: 187 km, about 1h 4m, +0h. CAI-ADJ Amman: 484 km, about 1h 27m, +1h. These are distance and timezone references, not live flight availability claims.
Source trail
OurAirports ident HECA backs the stable code, coordinate, elevation, and timezone record. cairo-airport.com is attached as the official airport website. en.wikipedia.org is used only as supporting reference context. Snapshot date: 2026-05-21.
Operational Profile
Traffic profile
Reference airport
Airline role
Nile Air, several other airlines
Terminal footprint
See operational notes
Runway footprint
3 runways · longest 13,124 ft / 4,000 m
Runway identifiers
05C/23C, 05L/23R, 05R/23L
OurAirports classifies CAI as a large airport with scheduled service; the airport name and codes identify it as an international gateway for Cairo.
CAI (HECA) is a low-elevation field at 322 ft (98 m) in the subtropics, kept in the curated set for its route, timezone, and market-planning value.
CAI sits in a broader regional network with 3 nearby curated alternatives, so airline choice and connection strategy are part of the planning story here.
CAI's runway record lists 3 runways, with the longest runway at 13,124 ft / 4,000 m and source surfaces recorded as asphalt (3).
Q12218696 is the clearest operator or management signal we currently have on file for CAI.
- It is the largest and busiest airport in Egypt.
- The airport serves as the primary hub for EgyptAir and Nile Air as well as several other airlines.
- It is the busiest airport in Africa and the 9th busiest airport in the Middle East in terms of total passengers.
These operational notes prefer the structured airport facts snapshot, then fall back to the accepted airport reference at cairo-airport.com, then blend that with local timezone, route, and city-access data already on this page.
Decision matrix for CAI
These are the specific situations where this airport page earns its keep: time-zone conversion, city transfer planning, nearby airport backup logic, and source-confidence checks before acting.
When the clock matters
CAI uses Africa/Cairo (EEST, UTC+03:00). Use this before overnight arrivals, cross-date departures, and same-day connections.
When surface access matters
Cairo International Airport is about 15 km from central Cairo; build that transfer into arrival and check-in planning.
When alternates matter
SPX Al Jiza is the closest retained alternate at 48 km, time difference +0h.
When source checks matter
cairo-airport.com is listed as the official airport website in the airport facts snapshot; live schedules, gates, routes, terminals, and NOTAM-sensitive operations still need official airport or airline verification.
How this airport compares nearby
These comparisons place CAI inside the retained airport graph by country, timezone, elevation, and coordinate neighbors. They are deterministic dataset facts, not generated flight claims.
Country-rank position
CAI ranks #1 in the curated Egypt airport set when large airports are listed before medium airports, then sorted by IATA code. The retained country set has 3 airports.
Same-zone airport cohort
CAI shares Africa/Cairo with HBE Alexandria EG · SPX Al Jiza EG. This helps separate same-clock airports by city, country, code, and geography.
Elevation-neighbor cohort
CAI is 322 ft (98 m). Closest elevation peers in the retained airport set include BES 325 ft (99 m) (3 ft delta) · IST 325 ft (99 m) (3 ft delta) · BHX 327 ft (100 m) (5 ft delta) · OTP 314 ft (96 m) (8 ft delta) · IAD 312 ft (95 m) (10 ft delta).
Coordinate-neighbor check
CAI's nearest retained coordinate neighbors are SPX 48 km +0h · HBE 187 km +0h · ADJ 484 km +1h.
Flight Path Arc
Great-circle route between airports with animated plane. Pick a route.
Arriving From / Departing To
| Destination | Route code | Distance | Estimated window | Time difference | Destination clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Jiza | SPX | 48 km | 54m | +0h | --:--:-- |
| Alexandria | HBE | 187 km | 1h 4m | +0h | --:--:-- |
| Amman | ADJ | 484 km | 1h 27m | +1h | --:--:-- |
CAI to SPX
Al Jiza
Distance 48 km; estimated travel window 54m; destination zone Africa/Cairo is +0h from CAI. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
CAI to HBE
Alexandria
Distance 187 km; estimated travel window 1h 4m; destination zone Africa/Cairo is +0h from CAI. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
CAI to ADJ
Amman
Distance 484 km; estimated travel window 1h 27m; destination zone Asia/Amman is +1h from CAI. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
Airport Details
Timezone
Ground Transport and Nearby Context
The airport sits in the normal outer-ring range for a major metro gateway, so rail, shuttle coach, and ride-hail all matter when you judge the fastest arrival.
Cairo is the nearest mapped city anchor in the current dataset, which makes it the cleanest companion page when travelers want to switch from airport timing into local city timing.
Cairo International Airport has 3 nearby indexed airport alternatives, which makes backup departures and diversion logic part of real planning instead of a theoretical edge case.
Nearby city time anchors
Airport pages are most useful when they bridge into real city clocks. These city anchors are ranked by distance from CAI, then shown with their own timezone, local time, and time difference from the airport clock.
Al Qāhirah al Jadīdah
al-qahirah-al-jadidah · 9.0 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Al Khuşūş
al-khusus · 9.1 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Madīnat an Naşr
madinat-an-nasr · 11 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Ḩadā’iq al Qubbah
hada-iq-al-qubbah · 11 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Al Khānkah
al-khankah · 11 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
New Cairo
new-cairo · 11 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Shubrā al Khaymah
shubra-al-khaymah · 14 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Cairo
cairo · 15 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Al-'Ubūr
al-ubur · 15 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Būlāq Abū al ‘Ilā
bulaq-abu-al-ila · 17 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Qalyub
qalyub · 20 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
El Shorouk
el-shorouk · 21 km · Africa/Cairo
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Airlines and Network Role
Cairo International Airport is associated in the current source trail with Nile Air, several other airlines, which makes carrier-specific schedule checks especially important before acting on a route plan.
The route timing references show the first cross-timezone planning burden after this airport: Al Jiza (SPX), Alexandria (HBE), Amman (ADJ). Treat them as distance and clock cues, then verify flight availability with the carrier.
Planning checkpoints
- Traffic signal: not clearly stated in the source trail.
- Terminal footprint: not clearly stated in the source trail.
- Runway footprint: 3 runways; longest runway 13,124 ft / 4,000 m; identifiers 05C/23C, 05L/23R, 05R/23L.
- Runway surfaces: asphalt (3); 3 lighted runways in the source snapshot.
- Operator / management: Q12218696.
- Historical opening year: not clearly stated in the source trail.
- Network role: Nile Air, several other airlines.
Nearby Airports
Nearby airports are ranked by coordinate distance from CAI. The time difference column is computed from IANA zones against the page snapshot, while the local clocks update in the browser.
Sphinx International AirportSPX
Al Jiza · large airport
- Distance
- 48 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h
- Elevation
- 510 ft (155 m)
Compare against SPX when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Alexandria International AirportHBE
Alexandria · large airport
- Distance
- 187 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h
- Elevation
- 171 ft (52 m)
Compare against HBE when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Marka International (Amman Civil) AirportADJ
Amman · large airport
- Distance
- 484 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +1h
- Elevation
- 2,555 ft (779 m)
Compare against ADJ when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Companion Planning Tools
Questions
FAQ
What timezone is Cairo International Airport (CAI) in?▾
Cairo International Airport is in the Africa/Cairo timezone (UTC+03:00, EEST).
What are the codes for Cairo International Airport?▾
Cairo International Airport uses IATA code CAI and ICAO code HECA.
Where is Cairo International Airport located?▾
Cairo International Airport is located in Cairo, Egypt at coordinates 30.1115° N, 31.3967° E, with an elevation of 322 ft (98 m) (low-elevation field in the subtropics).
How far is Cairo International Airport from central Cairo?▾
Cairo International Airport sits roughly 15 km from the nearest mapped city center for Cairo.
Which route reference is most useful from CAI?▾
Al Jiza (SPX) is one of the closest route references on this page, with an estimated travel window of 54m, destination timezone Africa/Cairo, and a +0h difference from CAI.
What other airports in Egypt are close peers to CAI?▾
CAI's curated peers in Egypt on this site include SPX Al Jiza, HBE Alexandria.
How many runways does Cairo International Airport have?▾
Cairo International Airport's source-backed operational summary lists 3 runways, with the longest runway recorded at 13,124 ft / 4,000 m; identifiers include 05C/23C, 05L/23R, 05R/23L.