flydubai: First UAE Carrier at Sphinx International Airport

DALLAS – On October 28, 2023, flydubai (FZ) commenced daily operations from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Sphinx International Airport (SPX).

Flight FZ191 departs from Dubai International Airport (DXB) Terminal 2 at 11:30 p.m. local time, bound for SPX. The Boeing 737-8 flight duration is approximately three and a half hours, landing in Giza.

With the addition of this new route, flydubai can now fly to Egypt up to 17 times a week, in addition to its existing connection to Alexandria Borg El Arab International Airport (HBE).

So far in 2023, FZ has expanded its network in Africa to include 12 destinations, with the latest additions being Mombasa and Cairo.

flydubai's Boeing 737-8. Photo: Alberto Cucini/Airways

Sphinx International Airport

Sphinx International Airport is located on the desert road between Cairo and Alexandria, forty-five kilometers from the pyramids of Giza. The airport has a single runway and shares certain facilities with Cairo West Air Base. On New Year's Day in 2020, the airport celebrated its first international connection.

The new airport provides nonstop flights to seven different countries, including destinations such as London Luton Airport (LTN), Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), Frankfurt Airport (FRA), and the Saudi cities of Jeddah and Riyadh. Wizz Air (W6) is one of the airlines that operates flights from SPX.

Business-class cabin on board the Boeing 737-8. In May 2023, flydubai announced a new business-class cabin to be fitted to the Boeing 737. Photo: flydubai

Comments from flydubai Official

Commenting on the launch of flights, Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer, said, “We are pleased to announce the start of operations to Cairo in October. flydubai is committed to creating free flows of trade and tourism between countries and enabling more people to travel conveniently and more often. I would like to thank the authorities for their support in launching operations at Cairo’s Sphinx International Airport, and we look forward to growing the traffic at this new entry point to the city over the years.”

The airline operates a fleet of 78 aircraft to more than 115 destinations in 54 countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe. FZ is one of the very few airlines in the world to operate a single fleet of Boeing 737s, flying the 737-800, 737-8 and 737-9 variants.

The airline started its operation in June 2009. It has opened more than 75 routes to destinations that were not previously connected to DXB by Emirates (EK). The airline is close to reaching the 100 million passenger milestone.

Featured image: flydubai aircraft pushing back from a row at the gate. Photo: flydubai