Egypt Inaugurates Two New International Airports in Katameya and Cairo-Alex Desert Road

Two new international airports, Katameya International Airport and Sphinx International Airport were inaugurated by President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi last October in order to service the growing number of international travellers to Egypt and lessen the pressure on Cairo International Airport. Both airports are built in areas which were previously part of military airbases, El Watan reports.Katameya International Airport is located in the area of Katameya/New Cairo and will be dedicated to serve New Cairo, the new administrative capital, and the three Suez Canal cities, Port Said, Ismailiya, and Suez. Sphinx International Airport (referred to in some local media reports as West Cairo International Airport) is located west of Cairo at the 45th kilometer mark of the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road and is dedicated to serve travelers  to 6th of October City, Sheikh Zayed, and six Upper Egypt governorates including Fayoum, Minya, and Beni Suef.According to Engineering Consulting Group, both airports have identical terminal buildings which will be fully functioning later this year (exact date unspecified), and according to Youm7, Lionel Messi's private jet landed in Sphinx International Airport on his visit to Cairo last month.

The Egyptian government plans on building a number of new international airports covering most of Egypt in line with the economic reform plan it's undertaking.