MS635 / CAI-EBL
Flight routing
- 1
- 2Cairo-Erbil
- 3
- 4
Good morning from Cairo Airport. It’s very early here, just after 1am on the 3rd of July 2024, and I’m heading back to the airport after a long layover in the city. During my time in Cairo I managed to see the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and explore a few places in the city itself.
Before leaving, I stopped at a small café in central Cairo, connected to some Wi-Fi, and watched a bit of a Euros 2024 match. After that, I took a $2 Uber back to the airport.
The terminal was extremely quiet at this hour. I accidentally entered through the domestic side first and had to walk across to the international section. Security and passport control were quick, and soon I was in the main concourse.
I couldn’t get the airport Wi-Fi to work, so I passed the time until the gate opened before heading down.
Todays aircraft was a 13.5 year old 737-800, Registered SU-GEA, delivered in 2010.
Boarding was called and we filed into the aircraft as usual.
Business class aboard this aircraft.
Economy seats aboard this 737 are very old, visibly beaten and worn, with obvious stains on the fabric patterns. However, because of their age, they are slightly more comfortable and deeper.
Before departure, one passenger asked to get off the aircraft, so ground staff had to locate his bag in the hold and remove it. This caused the delay, and we eventually took off at 3.56am, just over an hour late. Not surprising, EgyptAir has consistently had poor on-time performance for me.
My view for around an hour as we sat at the gate 🤣
Thankfully, 1 hour and 1 minute late, we departed Cairo, banking north over the suez, red sea and Jordan.
After reaching cruising altitude, we were served a light breakfast of chicken sausages, egg omelette, a samosa, bread, mango juice and water.
We were intercepted with a beautiful sunrise over the desert, a nice break after a tiresome journey.
After around 2 hours, we began our descent into Erbil airport, coming up to the airport on the southern runway - 36.
Landing into the airport was smooth and uneventful, only 51 minutes late! We disembarked the aircraft, passed through passport control, where I presented my E-Visa, and passed through to landside of the airport.
