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Air Cairo (SM) Guide

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Where Air Cairo flies from Cairo, which aircraft it uses, what its cabins and bag allowances look like, and how to check in for an SM flight. Ask a question
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In short

Air Cairo is an Egyptian airline based at Cairo International and part-owned by EgyptAir. It flies to 90+ airports from Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada, covering Egypt, the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia. Holidaymakers heading to the Red Sea resorts are a big part of its traffic. Air Cairo has no alliance or loyalty scheme listed, and every seat is Economy.

Air Cairo is an Egyptian airline based in Cairo and part-owned by EgyptAir. It operates scheduled flights to the Middle East and Europe and charter flights to Egypt’s Red Sea resorts on behalf of tour operators, from bases in Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada.

Please note: bookingMentor is an independent travel service and is not affiliated with Air Cairo. Routes, schedules, fleet and baggage rules change, so always confirm the details of your booking with the airline.

What to expect

Air Cairo (IATA: SM, ICAO: MSC) is an Egyptian airline headquartered in the Sheraton Heliopolis area of Cairo and majority-owned by EgyptAir. It flies scheduled and charter routes from Cairo International Airport, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, and it suits holidaymakers heading from Europe to the Red Sea resorts and travellers on budget routes between Egypt and the Middle East.

EgyptAir's majority stake and the charter roots

Air Cairo was founded in 2003. EgyptAir holds 60% of the shares and 360 Investments the other 40%. The airline started out mainly flying charters for European tour operators and has since added scheduled flights sold directly to the public at lower fares. Hussein Sherif became chairman and chief executive in November 2025. A codeshare agreement signed with EgyptAir in October 2024 lets the two airlines sell seats on each other's flights, which makes it easier to combine an Air Cairo leg with an EgyptAir connection.

Cairo, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh bases

Cairo, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh are the three bases, and Alexandria Borg El Arab is also listed as a base. The network counts about 61 destinations. Scheduled routes cover domestic Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, North Africa, Central Asia and the Balkans. In winter many flights link German, Italian and Eastern European cities directly with Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. For winter 2026 to 2027 the airline announced new routes from Oslo to Cairo and Hurghada. SunExpress markets and manages Air Cairo's Hurghada flights from German-speaking countries, so a ticket bought from SunExpress for one of those routes can be flown by an Air Cairo aircraft.

The German market

Air Cairo reaches the German market through its SunExpress partnership.

Changes and refunds on package holiday seats

Many Air Cairo seats to the Red Sea are sold inside package holidays. If you booked through a tour operator, changes, refunds and baggage questions go to that operator. If you bought directly from aircairo.com, Air Cairo handles them. Air Cairo has no frequent flyer programme listed, and it is not part of a global alliance.

Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change

Checked against trusted sources:
Air Cairo official website

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  1. Air Cairo official website
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Good to know

  • AllianceNone
  • Founded2003
  • Other gatewaysHRG / SSH

Everything you should know

Airline codes

SM · MSC

IATA · ICAO · callsign “AIR CAIRO”

Every Air Cairo flight number begins with SM. Flight-tracking sites and air traffic control use the ICAO code MSC, and the radio callsign is AIR CAIRO.

Key facts

Main hub

Cairo (CAI)

Cairo International

Also flies abroad fromHurghada (HRG) · Sharm El Sheikh (SSH)

Network

90+ airports

Egypt · Middle East · Europe · Central Asia

Air Cairo bases are Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. It flies scheduled routes to the Middle East and Europe and many holiday flights from Germany, Italy and Eastern Europe to the Red Sea.

Destinations

Cabin classes

Economy

Mainly economy on Airbus A320 and A320neo jets, with ATR 72s and Embraer 190s on shorter routes. Flights are sold in economy, which is the main cabin across the fleet.

About the cabin

Good to know

Many Air Cairo flights to Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh are sold as part of package holidays. The airline’s site, aircairo.com, handles bookings and check-in.

Start a new search

Before you book Air Cairo, run the same dates through bookingMentor: rival airlines on routes from CAI appear in one set of results.

Bon voyage on your next Air Cairo flight.

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At a glance

Air Cairo (IATA: SM, ICAO: MSC) is an Egyptian airline based in Cairo and part-owned by EgyptAir. Founded in 2003, it flies Airbus A320, A320neo, ATR 72 and Embraer 190 aircraft from Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada to destinations in Egypt, the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia.

Key facts about Air Cairo
HeadquartersSheraton Heliopolis Zone, Cairo, Egypt
Fleet typesAirbus A320, A320neo, ATR 72-600 and Embraer 190
Official websiteaircairo.com

Flight routes

Destinations and routes

Direct routes
Air Cairo serves the places below according to its published network. Routes are added, paused and rescheduled, so confirm the current Air Cairo timetable when you search. Search flights

Egypt

Cairo (CAI) departures8 destinations

Check all

Fleet and aircraft

Air Cairo has 39 aircraft in service: 12 Airbus A320-200s, 18 A320neos, 6 ATR 72-600 turboprops and 3 Embraer 190 jets. Fifteen more A320neos are on order, and the airline is aiming for around 45 aircraft by the end of 2026.

  • Airbus A320 Narrow-body · 12 in service Scheduled and charter routes
  • Airbus A320neo Narrow-body · 18 in service Scheduled and charter routes
  • ATR 72-600 Turboprop · 6 in service Domestic routes
  • Embraer 190 Regional jet · 3 in service Domestic and regional routes

Cabin classes

Air Cairo sells a single cabin, Economy, so every passenger sits in the same section.

Economy All flights

Standard seat

The main cabin on Air Cairo flights.

Snacks and drinks

Frequent flyer programme

Details of the Air Cairo loyalty programme are being added Add your membership number when you book to earn miles.
Join on the airline's site

Baggage allowance

On Air Cairo, the bag allowance follows your fare type, cabin and route, and the exact figure is printed on your SM e-ticket.

Checked baggage
On your e-ticket
Cabin baggage
Set by your fare
Extra bags
Add online before you fly
Power banks
Cabin bag only

Air Cairo's allowance depends on how you booked: tickets bought on aircairo.com show the allowance for your fare, while seats in a package holiday follow the tour operator's terms. Check the right document before you pack.

Pro tip: on SunExpress-sold Hurghada flights from Germany, Austria or Switzerland, the baggage rules shown in your SunExpress booking apply.
Travel day

Online Check-in

Air Cairo check-in comes down to four steps, from checking in online to dropping your bags at Cairo International.

  1. Step 1

    Check in online

    Where your flight allows it, check in on aircairo.com with your surname and booking reference or e-ticket number.

    Booking ref + surname
  2. Step 2

    Prepare your documents

    International Air Cairo passengers need a passport and whatever visa, residence permit or entry documents the destination requires. Domestic SM passengers should bring a photo ID the airline accepts.

    Passport · visa · ID
  3. Step 3

    Arrive early

    Each airport has its own Air Cairo check-in and bag-drop deadline, listed in your booking. Allow extra time for busy terminals and international SM departures.

    Check your deadline
  4. Step 4

    Drop your bags

    Hand in checked luggage at the Air Cairo counter or bag drop, then keep your boarding pass and passport ready for security and the gate.

    Air Cairo counter
Ready to check in? Check in and manage your booking on the official Air Cairo website.
Check in with Air Cairo
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Cheap tickets

Ways to pay less for an Air Cairo ticket, from the dates you choose to the fare type you buy.

  1. 01

    Try midweek SM flights

    Compare a full week of Air Cairo departures; midweek days are often priced below Fridays and Sundays.

    Midweek flights
  2. 02

    Avoid peak holiday dates

    Red Sea holiday fares rise in European school holidays, at Christmas and at Easter. Book early or travel off-peak.

    School holidays · festivals
  3. 03

    Price the bundle, not the base fare

    An Air Cairo fare that includes a checked bag, seat choice or cheaper changes can cost less overall than adding those extras later.

    Baggage & changes
  4. 04

    Book busy Air Cairo routes early

    Popular Air Cairo flights fill the cheaper fares first, so give yourself several weeks of lead time on busy routes.

    Popular routes
  5. 05

    Compare nearby airports

    Cities with two or more airports can give quite different fares. Check each one before settling on an Air Cairo flight.

    Alternative airports

  6. Ready to compare fares?

    Search Air Cairo alongside every other airline on your route, with flexible dates.

    Search Air Cairo flights

Reviews and questions

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Everything travellers ask before flying Air Cairo.
We checked these Air Cairo answers with the airline’s own pages and public airline records on 10 October 2026.

General

EgyptAir owns 60 percent of Air Cairo and 360 Investments owns 40 percent. Air Cairo runs as a separate airline with its own fares, and in October 2024 it signed a codeshare agreement with EgyptAir.