EgyptAir announced plans to add two major new US routes in 2026, with nonstop flights from Cairo to both Los Angeles and Chicago, but those routes are now official and flight schedules published.
EgyptAir Is Coming To Chicago And Los Angeles With New Nonstop Flights
EgyptAir has filed schedules for new Cairo (CAI) service to Los Angeles (LAX) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD), each operating three times per week. Tickets are not yet for sale.
EgyptAir Cairo – Los Angeles Schedule
EgyptAir plans to launch CAI-LAX service as of May 23, 2026, with 3x weekly flights
| Flight | Route | Departure | Arrival | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS983 | Cairo (CAI) – Los Angeles (LAX) | 8:30 AM | 1:20 PM | 3x weekly (Mon, Thu, Sat) |
| MS984 | Los Angeles (LAX) – Cairo (CAI) | 5:25 PM | 5:10 PM+1 day | 3x weekly (Mon, Thu, Sat) |
At 7,605 miles, the LAX route will become EgyptAir’s longest route and is blocked at 14 hours, 50 minutes westbound and 13 hours, 45minutes eastbound. The flight is well-timed from Los Angeles to mitigate jet lag.
EgyptAir Cairo – Chicago Schedule
EgyptAir plans to launch CAI-ORD service as of June 21, 2026, with 3x weekly flights. Times below are local.
| Flight | Route | Departure | Arrival | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS947 | Cairo (CAI) – Chicago (ORD) | 12:50 AM | 5:15 AM | 3x weekly (Sun, Wed, Fri) |
| MS948 | Chicago (ORD) – Cairo (CAI) | 10:30 AM | 5:40 AM+1 day | 3x weekly (Sun, Wed, Fri) |
This 6,148 mile flight is blocked at 12 hours, 25 minutes westbound and 11 hours, 10 minutes eastbound. I find the flight scheduled from Chicago frightfully early, but the Cairo – Chicago flight is timed perfectly to maximize rest onboard.
EgyptAir is expected to operate both routes with the Airbus A350-900 with 30 seats in business class and 310 in economy class. The business class seat will be similar to the 787-9, though it will include closing doors and updated technology. I flew that product from Washington Dulles to Cairo in business class and reviewed it here, then from Cairo to London in economy class and reviewed it here.
> Read More: EgyptAir 787-9 Business Class Review
> Read More: EgyptAir 787-9 Economy Class Review
Are These Routes Viable?
EgyptAir is the flag carrier of Egypt and fully state-owned. As such, profitability isn’t necessarily the focus, though Egyptair has reported “unprecedented” profitability for the last two fiscal years.
When it comes to Los Angeles, EgyptAir won’t be alone. Royal Air Maroc is also launching service to Los Angeles (from Casablanca) and will compete with EgyptAir for connecting traffic from Northern Africa.
> Read More: Los Angeles Is Getting Two New Nonstop Routes To Africa
While Los Angeles County purportedly has over 740,000 residents who would identify as being from a North African and Middle Eastern (MENA) population, I have to imagine such a route will be difficult, even with cooperation from United.
Chicago, meanwhile, is more central and a huge hub for United. The flights are also well-timed for onward connections.
CONCLUSION
EgyptAir is set to add nonstop service from Cairo to both Los Angeles and Chicago in 2026. Los Angeles launches May 23, 2026, while Chicago launches June 21, 2026, with each route operating three times per week. I didn’t have a great experience on EgyptAir in business class during the pandemic and would very much like to give the carrier another try now that we are well past that low-point in recent history.
My 9-year-old son Augustine has somewhat outgrown is fascination with Egypt, but I hope a trip to Cairo and Luxor might reinvigorate that interest in history and archeology.
I’ve probably been to Cairo 20 times. Maybe more. I’d even say I actually like the place. But does anybody in Los Angeles need to get to Cairo so bad that they’d choose this over just connecting in LHR/FRA/DOH/DXB/AUH/CDG/AMS/IST? I just don’t think EgyptAir needs to operate flights this long.
I’ve been to Egypt seven times myself. So much to see in Cairo and Giza, so much to see in Luxor, and great diving in the Red Sea.
I would greatly prefer a nonstop and a lie-flat seat even on a dry airline to connecting onto a Eurobiz equipped narrowbody via LHR on BA or FRA on LH or ZRH on LX, to give three examples. Those connecting flights are unpleasant four-to-five-hour journeys either after or before a transatlantic.
To each their own, I suppose. Though the LHR flight is indeed brutal. Until 2018 it was on a 787. Much better back then.
Somewhat surprised the CAI-LAX flight departs at 8:30 a.m. That may make some potential regional or domestic connections tight or impossible (although MS runs more than its fair share of short-haul redeyes). It seems like that flight could depart at 9:30 a.m. and still have time to make a reasonable turn at LAX.
My mother, two of her friends and myself flew on Egypt from Paris to Cairo after a 9 hour layover at CDG. We started this trip at LAX with a layover in Montreal so we had lots of connections like the writer experienced as well. The flight left CDG over an hour late and the four of us sat towards the back of the plane. We were surrounded by around 20 teenage boys that seemed to be in junior high school age and they ran around the plane almost the 5 hours hog-wild and yelling as if they were out on the soccer field. They were actually part of a soccer team and had gone to Disneyland Paris because they won some tournament but no adults or chaperones were in sight. They even broke the hinges of the laboratories door and the door just feel to the ground. The flight attendants brought it under control a couple of times and they were very nice and professional about it. We were irritated but also tired that we didn’t even have the energy to say anything. When we finally landed and got off the plane, we realized that the coaches and chaperones were all sitting in up front in business class well rested and relaxed. This experience really set the tone for all the noise and chaos that Cairo has at it’s core endlessly; it’s alive and it’s beautiful.
Oof. Bad timing. With this new war in the ME, routes like this are probably DOA. What is it with aging-autocrats wanting to start new wars in late February? It’s especially ironic as the guy literally ran on ‘no new wars.’ Boy, if he doesn’t suspend elections or disenfranchise all his non-supporters, gonna be a bloodbath for R’s in the midterms…
Anyway, Matt, when ya get the chance, how do you think flights for ME3 and between East-West will be affected if there’s yet another war (Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Iran, Afghanistan-Pakistan)? Because, we’re losing via flight routes at this point. Like, gonna need to either continue to skirt the Turkey-Caucuses-Stans, or go the super-long way, basically to the equator, and maybe refuel in Addis.
Then, if Xi decides ‘F-it’ and Taiwan is in-play, my gosh, just stay home at that rate, WW3 is here. *facepalm*
They didnt rename the department of defense to the department of war because they werent going to start a bunch of wars
Yep.
This trip with my mother and her friends began in Egypt and we continued on to Israel, the West-Bank and Jordan. The tour guide who is a very intelligent man picked up that I spoke English and started to befriend me once he figured I was American;. The tour was in Spanish so most of people on the tour were from Central and South America. When we were close to the border with Syria in Golan Heights, he was very delighted to let me know we were close to ‘Trump Heights’ (a new community in development that was named after our cruel and incompetent president). He told me that our president was the best president that the US had ever had and that I was lucky to have him as my president. I then told him that he must share similar values to Trump like power and money because that is all Trump cares about. He got so upset and started yelling at me and the rest of the tour not knowing what was being exchanged just stayed quiet. My mother got worried and a bit upset at me. I laughed and walked back to my seat. The tour guide didn’t speak to me for the rest of the tour.