Cairo Airport

Arrival in Terminal 1 was disappointing building seemed old and was rather crowded. No organised lines whatsoever and complete chaos. However departure from same terminal (Terminal 1) was a different story. Departure seems very new large LCD screens displaying flight information organized check-in desksmany immigration kiosks. There were many food outlets such as McDonald's Starbucks Cinnabon etc. The airport-facing side of the waiting area is all glass which enables you to watch all the planes. Hopefully issues concerning departure will be solved with the opening of Terminal 3 this month.

Arrived in original older terminal. Old dilapidated and poorly signed. I'm not sure where I was supposed to obtain a visa (I had one already in my passport from consulate at home). Baggage gathering was straightforward but a little chaotic. It took me a good half hour to get my luggage. Departure terminal was fine. Beware of crooked people who pretend to be airport staff but are just looking for tips. Otherwise modern airport after you go through security. McDonald's Star Bucks and a few other shops. Smoking is permitted in certain areas and one room.

The arrival in the new airport went very smoothly but the international departure hall is a total mess. There is a separate Star Alliance/Egyptair business section giving the privilege to have longer queues than in the economy main hall. Signs are confusing plenty of people around trying to "guide" you for faster processing against a tip in all a miserable place.

I arrived and departed to Madrid on IB and also domestic on EgyptAir. Signs and announcements are confusing was given wrong departure gate and staff are unresponsive and unhelpful. Terminal sheathed in decaying white ceramic makes it seem like an old WC. It took 2 hours to get past security and immigration long queues and total chaos and no food except one cafe with sweets and bread both not recommended. Very hungry. Domestic Arrivals much worse. No working signs at all in baggage reclaim only 2 working belts for all flights so luggage split across more than one belt extremely over crowded and no information. Wasted 90 mins locating luggage. Touts all around arrivals to "help" with luggage taxis whatever. No control or rules at all. Very aggressive hassle in taxi area. New terminal should now be open may be better structurally but I doubt will help resolve biggest problem of general disorder and confusion is worker issue not infrastructure. New metro line will avoid taxi touts though. Not recommended for transfer passengers but if flying onward in Egypt or to/from Cairo no real choice.

One of the worst transit-airports ever. Flew business class from Amman to Cairo (with Royal Jordanian) and on to Nairobi (with Kenya Airways). Upon arrival a bus took me to one terminal where I had to wait ten minutes before boarding another bus to another terminal where I had to hand in my passport and had to wait 25 minutes (no explanation given) before my passport was returned to me. I then boarded a third bus which took me back to the other terminal. There the whole thing started again. Handed in my passport and e-ticket to immigration and had to wait for over half an hour (people smoking all around me) before I got my passport back this time with boarding pass. All with all a very time consuming procedure. The business class lounge is very small and asking for a drink feels like asking a big favour. Staff very unfriendly. All with all this airport is not to be advised for anyone flying in/out with two different airlines.

Probably the worst international airport - absolute mess in all aspects. Huge queues for immigration on arrival and chaotic baggage collection with no clear boards mentioning the flight name. Airport full of touts to assist in passport control taxis hotels etc and no one seems to be bothered to control or regulate them. Departure was worse and resembled a cattle market to put it mildly. Huge queues everywhere from baggage screening to check in to passport control. No clear announcements and all boards are totally worn out. Total disregard for smoking rules thru out the terminal. No places to sit before check in. Toilets are very dirty and unmaintained. Duty free is a joke with items priced several times the price outside and first class lounge ridiculous. Hardly any food on offer and in noon all I could see was stale bread and pastries from morning. An absolute shame for a country which houses so many tourist marvels and attracts millions every year. Probably thats the reason no one is bothered at any cost people have to use this airport to come to Egypt. If there is any ranking less than zero I would give that!

Cairo Terminal 1. BA requested our presence three hours before the 8:35 AM departure and I duly showed up. The security people however did not start screening until 2.5 hours before so a long single form line for all classes was the result. In fact apart from the check-in counter nowhere in the entire process of boarding are there dedicated First Business or Elite Customer lines. The BA check in staff were unaware of the arrival terminal change in Heathrow (not T5 thank goodness but T4). I found out as I was trying to understand where my connecting Heathrow Delta flight to Atlanta was departing from (turned out to be T4 as well). The Cairo International terminal BA uses is old.A new terminal is in the process of being built which surely will bring a better quality pre-flight experience. As it is BA offers the use of a generic lounge which is small with very old and not entirely clean looking furniture and a TV tuned to Al Jazeera. There are two old nondescript standard and not entirely clean fridges carrying somewhat cold water and soft drinks. There was nobody manning the bar and there was no food apart from nuts despite this being an early AM departure. There was free wireless internet. I went out to find some breakfast and ended up in a coffee shop which served fresh croissants. The terminal offers some shopping but many were closed at this early hour. The lighting in the terminal is harsh and the use of tiles everywhere creates a sterile and impersonal cold atmosphere. Boarding was the worst chaos of all. All passengers were hoarded into a pre-boarding area. The two BA representatives scanned all boarding passes but did not offer any assistance to people in wheel chairs (there were about 5 on this flight) or people with small children. A lone police man started checking passports when the door for boarding opened and it was each man woman and disabled person for themselves… A shambles. All in all the fact that a new terminal is being built is absolutely necessary. But for the time being you might be better off traveling on one of the Sky Team airlines as they depart from the already opened new Terminal 2.