Sphinx International Airport — Local services in Giza

Where to start? The only positive is that the airport is very clean and new.

The negatives: Firstly, only 2 out of 5 immigration counters are open. This is because the immigration and police officers, rather than manning the immigration counters and doing their jobs, seem to be idly standing around, either on their mobile phones or talking to one another. Massive queues of about 1 hour are created which in turn cause severe delays in processing passengers through immigration.

Secondly, there’s no free WiFi available through out the entire airport. There is also only one kiosk from which you can purchase a SIM card, and you must again queue for extended periods of time in order to do this. After purchasing a SIM card you must dial the operator and confirm your details over the phone. You have to then wait a further 20 minutes for your SIM to be activated by the system, before you finally have a working internet connection.

Thirdly, once you exit the airport you have no choice then to download Uber or another local ride hailing app. This is because there are no taxis at the airport. YES NOT A SINGLE TAXI IN SIGHT! Only locals who demand extortionate fees to take you to your destination. May I add with no guarantees that you will actually reach your destination.

When trying to hail a journey on the Uber app you will find that:

There are no drivers available for hours due to the airports poor location. For the Uber drivers that do arrive, the greed kicks in, once they realise that there are no other taxis in sight and a sea of stranded tourists. Knowing that you have no other way of getting to your destination. Your driver will proceed to blackmail you, demanding more money than what was agreed on the Uber app. If you refuse they will cancel the trip, and approach other stranded passengers trying to get higher more extortionate fares. May I add that once you exit the airport there is no help in sight, no way of asking for assistance to call a taxi in an airport which is somewhat secluded from the rest of Cairo.

Conclusion:

This airport is ridiculous, logistically it’s a nightmare, out in the middle of nowhere. It is only good for locals, who have family or friends with whom they have arranged to come and collect them from the Airport beforehand. As a tourist you will be lucky if you are out 3 hours after landing.

My flight from Luton landed at Sphinx Airport at around 7:30pm local time. Yet I reached Dokki in downtown cairo where I was staying at 12:30 pm. So all in all it took me a total of 5 hours from landing at Sphinx airport to reach my hotel. Add that to the flight time. And it’s London Luton to my Cairo hotel in just over 10 hours.

Its very existence and the poor arrogant way in which the Airport is managed puts tourists in danger. Given that easy jet and wizz air have now launched international flights from here. UK tourists will unwittingly flock here, drawn in by the lower fares, only to find themselves stranded for hours as I was.

Solution:

The Airport Authority either needs to arrange for a free shuttle bus to transport passengers to the nearest safe urban area where other forms of onward transport can be arranged. Or they need to set up verified and regulated taxi firms which are based inside the airport like they have at Cairo International, from which people can book safe journeys at prices which are regulated. I mean come on it’s ridiculous there were drivers demanding 1000 Egyptian pounds and some even 100 USD to take passengers from Sphinx Airport to downtown Cairo. A journey which may I add is no more than 250 Egyptian pounds at the very most on...

DON’T GO TO THIS AIRPORT!! WATER DEPRIVATION, QUEUE UNDER THE SUN AND NO TOILET! Preserve yourself and your health and don’t ever step in this airport. Why? ⬇️

We arrived 4h before our flight and was not allowed to even enter at the airport. Officer by the door didn’t give explanations, just said we should wait in a coffee shop behind the mosque and come back after 1h30.

It’s not a coffee shop, it’s a tent with no AC and NO TOILETS. We tried to buy some water and food, and even they have card machines, they refused to sell it by card. As we didn’t have cash anymore (we expected to use card as in any international airport in the world), so we were left thirsty and hungry with no options.

The heat of summer with no AC (just some weak fans) and no water hit me and my pressure started to drop. In the picture i was not sleeping only, i was almost fainting, but even though was not allowed to enter in the airport.

We rushed back to airport at the time the officer told us to, hoping to finally can get some water and AC, so there was a long queue UNDER THE SUN in the summer in the afternoon. We stand there for around 30min still to enter. And still no water for buy or whatever.

We passed by security for enter + checkin + passaport control so we reach another x-ray machine. Still no water.

I felt sick from the heat and water deprivation, i started to feel nausea and strong colics. The staff was talking to me in arabic and i kept saying i dont speak arabic. I was told to remove my shoes, even i was wearing only sandals (so i had to step in the cold floor, which gave me horrible extra colics). They had to call the female officer for check me as i am a woman. When she saw me tired and nervous and about to cry, instead she try to help me directly, she started to make jokes and ask what is my name and started to chitchat instead just do her job and let me pass to finally reach some toilet and water.

When I finally broke up in tears and screams saying i feel sick cause waited under sun in summer with no water from many hours, so they gave me a warm bottle of water. Later on i found out that bottle belonged to another passenger, cause he started to ask me and my husband for his water back. I had no idea it was his water. I tried to return the bottle and he didn’t accept (I wouldn’t too).

I finally reached the toilet and vomited a lot. My husband rushed to the coffee shop to buy fresh water. It’s been a day after my trip and i still feel sick.

When we returned back to Abu Dhabi we were told by some friends that we should give money for the officer by the door, so he would let us enter. I dont know if is true.

Being at this airport was a risk to my life and offer nothing except disrespect and lack of care with tourists and travelers.

Will...

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow wanderers, and frequent fliers, gather 'round. I’ve got a tale to spin about an airport—a place where time stands still, and sanity occasionally takes a vacation.

Picture this: I’m standing in line, waiting for my turn at the security checkpoint. The air crackles with anticipation, and I clutch my boarding pass like it’s a golden ticket. But little did I know, this was no ordinary security dance. Oh no, my friends, this was a choreographed ballet of absurdity.

Act One: Security Shenanigans The security officers, bless their hearts, were on a mission. Lighters and pens—yes, you heard me right—were confiscated. Apparently, these innocuous items were considered grave threats to national security. I half-expected them to wrestle a rogue stapler out of someone’s bag next. But wait, there’s more! After this thrilling performance, we were handed a questionnaire. A questionnaire! It contained the same info as my passport—like they needed a backup copy of my favorite color. Maybe they’re building a psychological profile of travelers based on our color preferences. Who knows?

Act Two: Barefoot Adventures Now, let’s talk footwear. Shoes off, folks! It’s time to tiptoe across the security area like we’re auditioning for “Dancing with the TSA Stars.” But here’s the kicker: no foot covers. Nada. Zilch. So there I am, wiggling my sock-clad toes on the cold floor, wondering if my socks are up for the challenge. Are they anti-slip? Moisture-wicking? Who knew socks could be so existential?

Act Three: Watergate After surviving four—yes, count 'em, four—security checks, we finally made it to the gates. Victory dance, right? Wrong. My trusty water bottle, brought all the way from home, was still intact. According to the rules, liquids are supposed to be in bottles of 100ml or less, but nobody cared about my full-sized water bottle. So I sipped my contraband water and pondered life’s mysteries.

In summary, dear fellow travelers, this airport could use a little clarity on the rules and some foot-friendly amenities. But hey, at least I’ve got a quirky story to tell now. So next time you’re in the security line, remember: lighters, pens, and existential sock questions await you.

Bon voyage, my fellow...