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Planespotting Guides for Egypt's Airports and Airfields

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Spotting locations, viewing areas, the best spotting hotel rooms and advice on access for plane spotters travelling to airports and airfields in Egypt. Use the hotlinks above or scroll down for spotting information on spotting locations, airfield hangar access, aviation museums, preserved aircraft. Plus all the information has been plotted as Points of Interest and can be downloaded to your SatNavs, Google Earth and Google Maps to make planning your spotting trips abroad so much easier and helping you log many more


CAIRO AIRPORT (HECA/CAI)

Spotting Info
Terminal 1
Terminal 1 is at the northern point of the airport, overlooking where the left parallel runway (05L/23R) meets the old, disused cross runway. No piers, all aircraft park remotely so if you arrive here, you may log more on the bus ride in. Opposite Terminal 1. on the other side of the cross runway is the long military apron, often containing C130s, with the maintenance area containing stored aircraft to the right of it. A little further to the right is a large GA apron where you'll often see biz, helicopters, turboprops and possibly more stored airliners. Airside there are good views through large glass windows, looking out to the runway or across the cross runway to the ramps previously mentioned.

Terminal 2
Terminal 2, both the building and the stands, is in the process of being rebuilt and therefore is not used at the moment.

Terminal 3
Good views airside of two of the three parallel runways (the eastern two) but a fair proportion of the Terminal 1 movements land on 05L/23R away to the north which can't be seen. Early morning onwards is a good time to log the majority of EgyptAir's fleet, both domestic and long-haul, as they use Terminal 3.

Stored Aircraft There are a lot of stored aircraft parked at various places around the airport.

Maintenance Area
HS-VAC B743
YA-HSB B733
YA-SFL B733

05C/23C-Cross Runway Intersection
SU-BGO Ce337
SU-ZDA IL62

  • SU-PMA B732 ex-Pharaoh Airlines, is between the IL62 above, and the storage area below. It's only visible on taxi in and out, and arriving and departing, providing you're sat on the correct side of the aircraft.

    Long-Term Storage, Runway 23C Threshold - only visible on taxi in and out, and arriving and departing, providing you're sat on the correct side of the aircraft
    SU-MWA A310
    SU-PBO DC9
    TL-ADY B727
    B777 - SU-GBP or SU-GBX?

    Planespotting Hotels
    The Le Meridien Hotel has limited views of the approach traffic from rooms on the 6th floor from 620, 622 624 etc.
    The Le Meridien Hotel features on for reviews, prices and room availability
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    CAIRO-CITADEL MILITARY MUSEUM

    Spotting Info
    The Egyptian Military Museum at the Citadel in Cairo has six aircraft displayed outside - 254 Wilga, 621 Yak 18, 2481 MiG17, 5908 MiG21, 7320 Su7 plus an unknown Zlin Z226. Photos aren't a problem if you're visiting the museum as it's a tourist attraction of historical importance.



    CAIRO-6TH OF OCTOBER WAR PANORAMA MEMORIAL MUSEUM

    Spotting Info
    The 6th of October War Panorama Memorial is alongside the eastern carriage of the main airport road that leads to Cairo city, or on your left as you drive away from the airport. The three aircraft on display outside - 2961 MiG17, 7771 Su20, 8040 MiG21 - can be seen from the road and photos aren't a problem if you're visiting the museum, as it's a tourist attraction of historical importance.




    SHARM el-SHEIKH AIRPORT (HESH/SSH)

    General Info
    2 parallel runways - 04L/22R, 04R/22L. Most of the time 04s are in use (04L is the main landing runway), with occasional changes some afternoons when the wind picks up over the sea. Arrivals start around 6, it's not busy but the movements are steady and dominated by Russian and eastern European airlines. Sunday is the busiest day. Beware if you travel outside your hotel, don't get in any of the blue and white taxis. Use hotel taxi or the blue mini buses - 1 LE fare anywhere. Using a scanner very discreetly will help as they use their full registration on their first inbound call, or the use of an SBS/Radarbox/RTL. Very little gets reported on spotting in and around the airport, and for good reason. The airport is under military control and as such, there are many armed guards around, both landside and airside. The best advice is to use mini bins and cameras on the taxi in/out and from the bus if you park remote. Then travel to your spotting hotel for the rest of your stay. Because the usual wind direction dictates 04 is often in use for arrivals, it's usually better to stay southwest of the airport, hence why Naama Bay is so popular with spotters.

    Spotting Info
    Airside there's lots of glass, no problems but be discreet. There are guards at the gates, but if you wish to take photos just ask them if it's ok. As far as they're concerned, you're a tourist, and they'll either say yes or no, without further issue - it's usually ok to take photos, just make it infrequent. Landside there are security guards everywhere so spotting and photography is not advisable, and they regularly patrol the perimeter.

    Planespotting Hotels

    NAAMA BAY HOTELS
  • At the Sonesta Beach Hotel in Naama Bay, arrivals on 04s fly overhead (this is the usual runway direction) and can be read by the naked eye if the reg is under the wing. It's southwest of the airport, on about a 5 mile final. Blocks 2800/2900/3000 (not ground level) are best for spotting: the balconies are big and you can set up your SBS/RTL here for some relaxing spotting. It's also all inclusive. The staff around the Cactus pool are friendly and seem at ease with laptops, mini bins, cameras around. Planes pass right over the sunbeds. Beware if you travel outside your hotel, don't get in any of the blue and white taxis. Use hotel taxi or the blue mini buses - 1 LE fare anywhere.
    The Sonesta Beach Hotel features on for reviews, prices and room availability

  • At the Sharm Cliff Hotel in Naama Bay, arrivals on 04s fly right overhead (this is the usual runway direction), though being a bit further out than the Sonesta Beach Hotel above, it's just about possible to read the registrations under the wings with the naked eye, so binoculars may be preferable. From northeast facing rooms, departures on 04s can be seen in the distance and a radio/SBS/Radarbox/RTL will tie them up.
    The Sharm Cliff Hotel features on for reviews, prices and room availability

  • At the Tropitel in Naama Bay, arrivals on 04s fly low overhead (this is the usual runway direction), though being a bit further out than the Sonesta Beach Hotel above, it's just about possible to read the registrations under the wings with the naked eye, so binoculars may be preferable. It's next to the Sharm Cliff Hotel above, so location-wise, there's little between the two. No problems with spotting using mini bins or photography from the pool area.
    The Tropitel features on for reviews, prices and room availability

  • The Sheraton Sharm Hotel is just northeast of Naama Bay and alongside the coast with its own private beach. While the arrivals and departures don't fly overhead, you are closer to the airport meaning they are easily read off with binoculars from the sun loungers.
    The Sheraton Sharm Hotel features on for reviews, prices and room availability

    NABQ HOTELS
  • The Radisson Blu is several miles northeast of the airport, and therefore there are no airport views, but arrivals on 22s and departures off 04s can be seen from the pool area. No problems using binocular or cameras around the pool, though departures are high by the time they reach you.
    The Radisson Blu Hotel features on for reviews, prices and room availability

    AIRPORT COASTLINE HOTELS
  • The Concorde el Salam Hotel is about 150 yards away from the perimeter fence and runway and you can spot from the pool. Take your scanner because they call up regs on arrival, but be discreet.
    The Concorde el Salam Hotel features on for reviews, prices and room availability

  • The Hilton Sharks Bay is very close to the Concorde el Salam above, not far from the airport perimeter and runways. No problems with discreetly using a scope from the rear of the hotel - the view of the airport is fairly good but the heat haze can get pretty bad. Rooms in the range 4108-4128 will offer views of the runway and airport from the corridor outside the entrance door to the room. Therefore spotting from the room isn't possible, but you can see what's coming in and going out via SBS/Radarbox/RTL and pop out to the corridor to see it.
    The Hilton Sharks Bay features on for reviews, prices and room availability

  • The Grand Oasis Resort is just to the south of the airport, along the coast, and has limited views of the aircraft landing, but again, a scanner used discreetly will get you the regs.
    The Grand Oasis Resort features on for reviews, prices and room availability

  • The Coral Sea Sensatori is 2 miles east of the parallel runways 04/22 and is in a dip, along with the Baron/Baron Palm, and thus not ideal for spotting. Departures can be seen and some arrivals at a distance, but the hotels above are far better.
    The Coral Sea Sensatori features on for reviews, prices and room availability
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    NOTE: This site in no way gives permission to enter any airfield or private property and stresses permission should always be sought before visiting any airfield.
    © Copyright 1997-2017 C.Blackmun. If any information from this site is to be used in any way, in any form of communication, be it printed or electronic, then permission must be requested and granted by me, prior to publication. You are welcome to use the information on trips but credit MUST be given to me, as I have done to all who have contributed. If you can update or add to any of the airport spotting locations please contact me. This site exists because the very social planespotting hobby is one of sharing and, I hope, your planespotting trips, whether you are a civil planespotter, a military aircraft spotter, or both, will benefit greatly from the spotting locations and spotting information contained within. My site contains airport spotting locations and airport spotting hotels and rooms at airfields and airports in the UK, Europe, USA, Asia, North America, South America, Oceana and Africa.