Cairo Airport most popular Africa destination for international airlines

• 53 airlines have international flights to Cairo.

Egypt is an increasingly popular destination for international travellers, with cities like Cairo, Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada, and Alexandria being among the most visited in North Africa. As of February 2024, Cairo International Airport (CAI) is Africa’s most popular destination for international airlines.

This is based on the number of airlines with international passenger flights scheduled to various airports across the continent. According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, there were 6,345 international flights to Cairo in February offered by 53 different airlines.

50+ airlines with international flights to Cairo

The airport serves as a strategic hub and is the main gateway into North Africa. It is Egypt’s biggest and busiest airport, with non-stop passenger flights scheduled to over 124 destinations in more than 50 countries. Last year, Cairo welcomed 26 million passengers, a 30 percent increase from the previous year. It is a hub for the national carrier Egyptair, as well as Air Cairo, Air Arabia Egypt, and Nile Air.

As of February 2024, 53 airlines (including subsidiaries) offered international flights to and from Cairo. Egyptair is, unsurprisingly, the top international carrier, offering the most flights and seats to destinations outside Egypt. It is followed by Saudia. The top five carriers operating out of Cairo are as follows (all flights are one-way):

Other notable airlines serving Cairo include Emirates, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, British Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and Royal Air Maroc. Among the newest entrants are China Eastern and Hainan Airlines, which resumed flights to Egypt after over 13 years.

Cairo Airport is currently connected to Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. The Middle East is the most connected to the Egyptian capital, with 4,157 flights in one direction. There are 26 airlines flying to the Middle East, 21 to Europe, 12 within Africa, four to Asia, and one to North America.

Johannesburg Airport is the second most popular

As you might have guessed, Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) is Africa’s second most popular destination for international airlines. However, South Africa also has one of the largest domestic sectors in Africa. Cape Town and Durban are among the most visited, but Johannesburg Airport handles most of South Africa’s international traffic.

In February, there were 3,061 international flights scheduled to Johannesburg. They were offered by 43 different carriers, connecting the airport to over 80 destinations in about 41 countries. Johannesburg has non-stop scheduled passenger flights to all six habitable continents – Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania. It is also home to Africa’s longest non-stop route.

Data shows that Airlink is the top international carrier out of Johannesburg, with nearly 40 percent of all outbound flights. It connects the airport to over 27 destinations outside South Africa. It is followed by the national carrier South African Airways, with scheduled flights to ten international destinations. These are the top five airlines from Johannesburg in February:

Among the intercontinental carriers serving Johannesburg are Qantas, LATAM, Saudia, Cathay Pacific, Delta, and Air France. The airport still sees a significant number of quadjet flights every week, including the Airbus A380, A340, and Boeing 747. There are 23 airlines with flights from JNB to other African destinations, eight to Europe, four to the Middle East, two to North America, two to South America, three to Asia, and one to Oceania.

North Africa has more popular destinations

Hurghada International Airport (HRG) is also a popular destination for international flights, particularly out of Europe. There are 37 different international carriers with flights to Hurghada this month, offering 1,235 flights and 242,969 seats. They connect the coastal city to over 80 destinations in Africa, Asia, and Europe. However, nearly 98 percent of inbound flights are from Europe.

Marrakech, the fourth-largest city in Morocco, welcomes about 35 international airlines, surpassing Casablanca Mohamed V (CMN), the country’s primary hub. Similar to Hurghada, most flights to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) are from Europe. Ryanair is the top carrier from the city, with 500 out of the 2,056 scheduled flights this month.

Sharm el Sheikh International Airport (SSH) on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula is Africa’s fifth most popular airport for international carriers. In February 2024, there were 31 different airlines connecting the airport to destinations in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. These include easyJet, TUI Airways, Aeroflot, and Turkish Airlines, with easyJet being the top carrier out of SSH.