Why direct flights from Russia to El Alamein haven’t taken off again

What travelers were hoping for

At the start of July, ads began popping up in Russia about regular direct flights to El Alamein – the freshly opened civilian airport on Egypt’s north coast. The plan called for Airbus A320s from Moscow and Kazan, each seating about one‑hundred‑eighty passengers. Flight time was pencilled in at four‑and‑a‑half to five hours, with a schedule that would run until autumn. The idea was simple: make the resort easier to reach, especially for those who don’t want to change planes in Cairo.

How the timetable looked

The press office of Kazan airport announced the programme early in the week, saying flights would operate every Saturday. The airport’s website listed a departure time of 09:45, along with check‑in details and a desk number. By the end of the same day the information had vanished, and Domodedovo’s online board showed EgyptAir’s flight cancelled. The same fate befell the Air Cairo service from Kazan – it disappeared from the official airport site.

What happened on the day of departure

On 18 July, when the first aircraft were supposed to lift off, none did. The only news on the boards in Moscow and Kazan was the cancellation notice. Passengers who had already packed received a brief message that the flight had been removed from the schedule. One follower from Tatarstan recalled that the flight had been posted in the morning, even down to the check‑in time, and then disappeared without explanation.

Why it fell apart

The main obstacle is the lack of a final clearance from Russian aviation authorities. El Alamein airport, opened in 2023, has not yet passed the inspection that confirms it meets Russian requirements. Without that “green card,” Russian airlines cannot use the airport’s facilities, even though Egyptian carriers are already operating there.

For a mass tourist flow you need more than a technical approval – tour operators must be ready to bundle the new destination into their packages. At the planned launch date, no major operator had managed to create tours to El Alamein, not even regional firms from Tatarstan. The flights also didn’t appear on airline or ticket‑aggregator sites, signalling a lack of commercial confirmation.

Repeated attempts

The July fiasco wasn’t the first miss. In May, tour operators cancelled flights that had been slated for June, which were to be run by Southwind with a stopover in Antalya. The reason was the same: no authority confirmation and low load factors. Passengers were offered refunds or alternative routes via Cairo and Istanbul.

Rosaviatsiya had promised direct flights to El Alamein by the end of 2025, but those plans never materialised. Industry insiders say demand is growing, yet it still doesn’t reach the level needed for standalone services.

How to get to the resort now

With direct flights on hold, most tourists opt for a connection through Cairo. From there a transfer to El Alamein takes two and a half to three hours, which operators say satisfies the majority of travelers. This route remains the only practical way to reach the resort without a dedicated package.

What to expect next

The lack of official clearance for Russian airlines stays the key problem. Until Russian aviation bodies give the green light, any talk of regular direct flights will stay in the announcement stage. Tour operators, meanwhile, are waiting for a stable schedule before they can build package offers.

If the necessary permits arrive in the coming months, we can expect airlines to start offering flights on the promised timetable. Until then, travelers will have to rely on connections through Cairo or other major hubs, and a direct flight to El Alamein will remain a wanted but still unavailable option.

Based on materials from: trn-news.ru.