EgyptAir starts flying Cairo to Zanzibar, opening a one-stop route from India
Two flights a week on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 connect Cairo with Zanzibar, and the inaugural went out more than 90% full. It makes an Egypt-and-Zanzibar trip bookable on a single airline.
The route
EgyptAir has begun direct flights between Cairo International Airport and Zanzibar, operating twice a week on Fridays and Sundays with a Boeing 737 MAX 8. EgyptAir Airlines chairman Mohamed Alyan said the inaugural flight recorded a load factor of more than 90 per cent. Promotional fares were released in both economy and business class, and tickets are sold through EgyptAir’s website, its offices and travel agents.
EgyptAir Holding chairman Ahmed Adel described the service as part of a plan to add more destinations across Africa. None of the reports we opened printed the exact date of the inaugural flight, so we are not stating one.
What it opens up from India
Zanzibar has been awkward to reach from India: the usual routings go through a Gulf hub or Nairobi, and the beach half of a Tanzania trip has generally been priced and ticketed separately from anything else. A twice-weekly Cairo link puts it on the same airline as Egypt.
The obvious use is a twin-centre trip — Cairo and the Nile, then the Indian Ocean — on one carrier and one ticket, which removes the self-transfer risk that makes those itineraries fragile. Friday and Sunday departures suit a week-plus trip rather than a short one. Check the connection times from your Indian departure city before assuming a same-day link through Cairo works: with two frequencies a week, a mistimed arrival means a long wait.
Sources
This report is based on the following published sources. Rules and schedules change — confirm with the issuing authority before you travel.
- EgyptAir launches direct flights from Cairo to Zanzibar — Egypt Independent, 06 September 2026
- EgyptAir launches direct Cairo–Zanzibar flights — CairoScene, 06 September 2026
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