Sphinx, Capital airports to go international in weeks: minister

CAIRO – 4 June 2018: Sphinx and Capital airports will be enrolled in the list of international airports in the next weeks, Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy told reporters Monday.

After the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reviews and accepts the applications of the two airports, they will be able to provide air navigation services in the region and will appear to all pilots flying across the world, the minister said.

The ICAO recognition will also allow for schedules to be set for air companies that have already applied to organize flights at the new venues.

Sphinx Airport, west of Cairo, will be inaugurated during summer 2018. The Capital Airport, east of Cairo, will be inaugurated “afterwards”, Fathy said April 17 during the Aviation African event in Cairo.

The two airports are meant to reduce pressure on Cairo International Airport; each accommodates more than 300 passengers per hour.

The Capital Airport, also known as Katameya Airport, will serve the new capital and the surrounding new urban communities, and is close to the cities of Suez, Ismailia and Port Said.

Meanwhile, Sphinx Airport will serve the cities of Sheikh Zayed and 6th of October, and is close to Alexandria, Fayoum and Beni Suef governorates. It is also significantly close to the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Giza Pyramids.