easyJet Manchester to Cairo Sphinx Flights: What Travellers Need to Know

The easyJet Manchester to Cairo Sphinx route starts on Monday 9 November 2026, with flights on Mondays and Fridays. easyJet says it will be the only airline flying direct from Manchester to Sphinx airport, which is the closest airport to the Pyramids of Giza and western Cairo. Sphinx is not Cairo International, and that changes how you plan the trip.

This guide covers the schedule, how Sphinx compares with Cairo International, and check-in at Manchester Airport. It also covers Egypt’s entry rules, the journey from Birmingham and the Midlands, and how to plan a late-night return.

Details last checked on 4 November 2026. Timetables, entry rules and airline policies can change, so confirm them with easyJet and GOV.UK before you travel.

easyJet Manchester to Cairo Sphinx at a glance

easyJet Manchester to Cairo Sphinx schedule

Start date and days

easyJet announced the route in June as one of 13 new winter routes from eight UK airports. Flights operate twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, from 9 November. They were available to book from the announcement, so check the easyJet website or app for the dates that suit you.

Listed flight times

Schedule listings published after the announcement show these timings, in local times. They aren’t from easyJet’s own announcement, so check your booking for the exact times.

Egypt is two hours ahead of the UK in winter. The listed times make the outbound flight about five hours, and the return about five and a half. Comparison sites show different averages, so rely on the times in your booking.

Monday or Friday: which suits you?

The two days give very different trips. Your choice depends on how you want to travel from the Midlands, and how you’d like to arrive.

• Monday: a midday departure means no middle-of-the-night drive to Manchester. However, you land at Sphinx in the evening and fly home late, reaching Manchester at 23:20.
• Friday: you leave early and land in the afternoon, so you arrive in daylight. The return leaves Sphinx at 15:00, which cuts your last day short, but you’re back in Manchester by 18:30.

For a short break built around the Pyramids, many travellers will prefer the Friday outbound and the Monday return, or the reverse. Check which combination your dates allow.

Why Sphinx airport, not Cairo International

What Sphinx is

Sphinx International Airport is Cairo’s second airport, on the western side of the city near Giza. easyJet describes it as the closest airport for visitors to the Pyramids and western Cairo.

Route guides put it about 10 kilometres from the Pyramids, a drive of 15 to 20 minutes. They give the Grand Egyptian Museum as about 8 kilometres away, a drive of 10 to 15 minutes. Those are estimates, so allow extra time at busy hours.

How it compares with Cairo International

Cairo International is on the other side of the city, about 40 to 50 kilometres from the Pyramids according to route guides. The drive from Sphinx to Cairo International is given as 60 to 75 minutes. If your trip is mainly the Pyramids and the museum, Sphinx saves a long transfer. If you’re staying in central Cairo or travelling on, Cairo International may suit you better.

Manchester or Birmingham for Cairo?

Midlands travellers now have two direct options. Our guide to Birmingham to Cairo direct flights covers EgyptAir, which flies from Birmingham to Cairo International. The table compares the two.

The right choice depends on your dates and where you’re staying in Egypt. For a family on a Pyramids trip, Sphinx shortens the transfer, but the Manchester drive adds time on the day. If your dates fit EgyptAir, flying from Birmingham removes that drive.

Checking in at Manchester Airport for the Sphinx flight

Terminal 2

easyJet uses Terminal 2 at Manchester. Terminal 1 has closed to departures, and the airport now works from Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, with Terminal 3 serving only Ryanair. Our Manchester Airport Terminal 2 guide explains the layout.

Bag drop and gate times

Airport guides and easyJet passengers’ reports list bag drop at Manchester as opening three hours before departure and closing 60 minutes before. They put the gate closing at 30 minutes before and online check-in closing at two hours before. Your easyJet app shows the opening and closing times for your own flight, so check it, because they can vary.

Our general guide to how early to arrive at Manchester Airport says bag drop at Manchester closes between 45 and 60 minutes before departure. For this route, use the deadline shown in your own booking.

A worked example: the Monday 12:05 flight

The table is an illustration, using the listed Monday departure and the 60-minute bag drop deadline. Adjust it for your own booking.

The Friday flight leaves at 07:15, so bag drop would close at 06:15. If you’re driving from the Midlands, plan for an early start. The late return on Mondays needs planning too, which we cover below.

Egypt entry rules in brief

Your passport must be valid for at least six months after you arrive in Egypt, with at least one blank page. British passport holders normally need a visa. You can apply for an e-visa online before you travel, or buy a visa on arrival. Visa on arrival has cost $30 in cash since March 2026.

Egypt has begun a digital visa on arrival, with a QR code, but the pilot started at Cairo International only. One travel operator says passengers flying into Sphinx still buy their visa on arrival. Check GOV.UK before you go, because the rules are changing. Our Birmingham to Cairo guide sets out the full entry rules, including the FCDO’s advice on areas to avoid.

Insurance, money and health basics

GOV.UK says your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice, so check the advice before you book. If you choose the visa kiosk, bring $30 in cash, because it doesn’t take cards. As our Cairo guide notes, you can bring up to 5,000 Egyptian pounds in or out of Egypt, and you must declare foreign currency worth more than $10,000. TravelHealthPro has Egypt health advice.

Getting to Manchester Airport from Birmingham and the Midlands

The drive

Manchester Airport describes Birmingham as just under 80 miles away. Route planners give the drive as about 1 hour 40 minutes, and other sources say 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. The route follows the M6 and then the M56, and the M6 can be heavy between 7am and 9am.

For the Friday 07:15 flight, that means leaving the Midlands in the middle of the night, or travelling the day before. For the Monday 12:05 flight, a mid-morning arrival is realistic, but leave extra time for the M6.

Drop-off, parking or a chauffeur

Manchester charges for drop-off at both terminals, and our drop-off and pick-up charges guide, listed below, explains the current rates. A pre-booked transfer avoids the forecourt charge decision and the long drive home.

If you’d like a driver for the 80-mile run, our Manchester Airport chauffeur service page explains how a fixed-price transfer works from Birmingham and across the Midlands. Tell us your flight and group size, and we’ll plan the pickup around your bag drop deadline.

Families, groups and luggage

For a family or a group, the Mercedes V-Class takes up to seven passengers and seven bags. Trips to Egypt often involve large cases, so tell us how many you’re bringing when you book.

Coming home: the late Monday arrival

The listed Monday return lands in Manchester at 23:20. After passport control and baggage reclaim, you may not leave the airport until around midnight. From there, Birmingham is about 80 miles, so a driver would reach the Midlands in the small hours.

You have three practical options. You can book an airport hotel for the night, arrange a pickup that tracks your landing time, or choose the Friday return, which lands at 18:30. NET offers flight monitoring and meet and greet on airport bookings, so a driver can adjust if your flight is early or late.

If your flight is delayed or cancelled

UK261 rules cover flights that depart from UK airports on any airline. For flights into the UK, they cover UK and EU airlines, and easyJet is a UK-based airline. Check your booking and easyJet’s policy for your own flight, and keep your receipts. If your flight lands very late, move your pickup rather than waiting at the airport.

Getting from Sphinx airport to the Pyramids

Arrange your onward transport before you fly. Many hotels near the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum offer airport pickups, so ask yours. NET operates in the UK, so we can’t arrange your journey in Egypt.

When you land, be wary of agents offering help or visas in the terminal, because they may charge more than the official fee. Keep your hotel’s address in English and Arabic, and confirm the price of any transfer before you get in.

Your checklist for the Manchester to Sphinx flight

• Check your passport is valid for six months and has a blank page.
• Decide how you’ll get your visa: e-visa in advance, or on arrival.
• Check the bag drop and gate times in the easyJet app.
• Plan your journey to Terminal 2, allowing for the M6.
• Book your Egypt transfer before you leave home.
• Arrange your late-night return pickup, especially after a Monday flight.
• Check the FCDO’s latest advice for Egypt before you fly.

Book your Manchester Airport transfer

National Executive Transfers provides fixed-price chauffeur transfers from Birmingham and the Midlands to Manchester Airport and back, using Mercedes-Benz E-Class, S-Class and V-Class vehicles. Tell us your flight number, pickup address, group size and luggage, and we’ll plan the journey around your bag drop time and your landing. Get a quote and book online.

Related Articles

• Manchester Airport Drop-off and Pick-up Charges Explained
• New Flights from Birmingham Airport: Every New Route for Winter 2026/27