Egypt plans on Monday to start the pilot operation of the Sphinx International Airport (west of the capital Cairo) to ease pressure on Cairo airport (east of the capital) as part of its plan to develop airports, ports, transport lines and roads.
Sphinx Airport is 12 km from the pyramids, and its vital location contributes to the promotion of day-to-day tourism due to its proximity to tourist attractions in Cairo and Giza.
The airport is located on part of the Western Cairo Air Force Base, located at 45 km from Cairo-Alexandria Road.
The airport, which was established according to a specific angle of inclination, bears the weight of the giant planes, according to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram.
The project was carried out by the armed forces and the Egyptian Investment Company (EEC), in which 200 engineers, 35 consultants and 2,500 workers participated.
Work on the project continued 12 months for 12 hours a day, at a cost of about 300 million pounds (about 17 million dollars).
The airport is located on an area of 25,000 square meters and has an area of 126,000 square meters, with a capacity of 9 aircraft.
The airport is equipped with the latest thermal monitoring cameras in the world. It consists of the main terminal building, the air control tower and the dozens of service buildings, distributed over an area of 26 thousand meters.
The main building accommodates 300 passengers per hour, and is set to set up a group of international hotels in the region to return them as a tourist attraction.
The airport also has 4 substations and a meteorological building, as well as a mosque and a parking garage for hundreds of cars.
