EgyptAir's inaugural nonstop from Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Cairo International Airport (CAI) departed at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 21, 2026 — the first-ever nonstop passenger link between Chicago and North Africa. The first inbound arrival from Cairo touched down at O'Hare on June 23, celebrated with a special airfield-access event for aviation spotters organized by the Chicago Department of Aviation.
The route operates three times weekly — Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays — on an Airbus A350-900 configured with 340 seats: 30 in business class and 310 in economy. The outbound flight departs O'Hare at 10:30 a.m. and lands in Cairo the following morning at approximately 5:15 a.m. local time; the eastbound journey runs about 12 hours 25 minutes, the return around 11 hours 10 minutes.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Aviation joined EgyptAir to announce the route in March 2026. The service makes Chicago the airline's fourth North American destination after New York (JFK), Newark (EWR/LAX), and Washington D.C., and EgyptAir becomes the 16th Star Alliance carrier to operate at O'Hare, according to CBS Chicago.
Aviation Week reports EgyptAir is scheduled to offer 2,040 two-way weekly seats on the route based on OAG Schedules Analyzer data. The Cairo–O'Hare route is exclusive to EgyptAir and fills a notable gap in transatlantic connectivity between the US Midwest and northeast Africa.
Sources
- https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/first-nonstop-flight-from-ohare-airport-to-cairo-egypt-departs-chicago/3951730
- https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/first-direct-flight-cairo-egypt-departs-chicago-ohare
- https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/routes-networks-latest-rolling-daily-updates-wc-june-22-2026
Things to do at each end of the route
Top-rated tours & experiences in Cairo and Chicago.