Egypt gateways

Cairo Airport air freight and clearance

Cairo International is where Egypt's air cargo clears, and since January 2026 it is also where an incomplete advance filing stops a shipment before it ever leaves the origin airport. The airport work and the documentation work are the same job.

Egypt's principal air cargo gatewayACID required before loadingConsolidations and urgent freight

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Reviewed 22 August 2026 · Midtrans Shipping And Services

The cargo that justifies air

Air is chosen when the cost of waiting exceeds the cost of flying, and that is a narrower set than it looks.

The filing is the constraint, not the flight

Since 1 January 2026 an air shipment to Egypt cannot be loaded without a valid ACID.

What happens at the airport

Arrival, examination and release, with someone present rather than represented on paper.

Coordination here, licensed brokers on the ground

The same operating model as everywhere else in Egypt, stated plainly.

What moves here

The cargo that justifies air

Air is chosen when the cost of waiting exceeds the cost of flying, and that is a narrower set than it looks.

Urgent production parts, replacement components for equipment that is standing idle, high-value consignments where sea transit ties up capital, temperature-aware and pharmaceutical cargo, and samples and documentation that gate a larger sea shipment. Consolidations from several suppliers into a single air movement also run through Cairo where the combined weight justifies it.

Cargo that does not need air is usually better served by Alexandria or Ain Sokhna, and we say so rather than booking the more expensive mode.

Urgent production and spare parts
High-value cargo where transit ties up capital
Temperature-aware and pharmaceutical
Samples that gate a larger sea shipment
Multi-supplier air consolidations

Documentation

The filing is the constraint, not the flight

Since 1 January 2026 an air shipment to Egypt cannot be loaded without a valid ACID.

Every air consignment destined for Egypt now needs an ACID number registered on Nafeza before it is loaded onto the aircraft, with the documents transmitted from origin through CargoX. Sea freight has worked this way since October 2021; air joined at the start of 2026.

On an ocean booking there are days in which to correct a filing. On an air booking there are often hours. The detail, including what Nafeza rejects and why, is on the ACI for air freight page.

ACID before loading, not before arrival
Documents transmitted via CargoX
Structured Nafeza invoice template
Classification consistent across documents
Hours, not days, to correct a filing

On the ground

What happens at the airport

Arrival, examination and release, with someone present rather than represented on paper.

On arrival the consignment is presented against the filing, the authority reviews the documents, the goods may be selected for documentary or physical examination, duties and taxes are settled and release is issued. Our appointed broker attends the examination in person rather than sending papers to it, and our operations desk is on the call while it happens.

Onward movement from the airport is planned with the booking rather than after release, because storage at an air terminal is materially more expensive than at a seaport.

Consignment presented against the filing
Documentary or physical examination
Broker attends in person
Duties settled, release issued
Onward leg planned before release

How we operate

Coordination here, licensed brokers on the ground

The same operating model as everywhere else in Egypt, stated plainly.

MIDTRANS is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with further offices in Jebel Ali, Damascus, Tartous and Latakia and a partner office in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Booking, routing and documentation are handled by our own operations desk. Customs clearance at Cairo is carried out by licensed Egyptian brokers we appoint and supervise, and MIDTRANS does not hold its own customs licence in Egypt.

Verification routes for our contact channels are on the Trust Center.

Offices in Dubai, Jebel Ali, Damascus, Tartous and Latakia; partner office in Guangzhou and Hong Kong; licensed partners in Egypt
Booking and documentation from our desk
Clearance by appointed licensed brokers
No MIDTRANS customs licence in Egypt
Contact channels verifiable in the Trust Center

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does air freight to Egypt need an ACID number?

Yes. Since 1 January 2026 every air shipment to Egypt requires a valid ACID registered on Nafeza before the goods are loaded onto the aircraft.

Is Cairo the only air cargo gateway in Egypt?

It is the principal one and the one most air consignments clear through. Which gateway suits a shipment depends on the service and the consignee, and is decided at booking.

Can you consolidate air shipments from several suppliers?

Yes, where the combined weight justifies a single air movement. Where it does not, sea consolidation through Alexandria or Ain Sokhna is usually the better answer and we will say so.

Who attends the examination at Cairo?

The licensed Egyptian broker MIDTRANS appoints attends in person, with our operations desk on the call. MIDTRANS does not hold its own customs licence in Egypt.

Is air always faster overall than sea?

Not always in practice. A filing that is not ready delays an air shipment far more than the flight saves, which is why the ACID is confirmed before the cargo is tendered.

What should I send to find out whether a shipment to Cairo should fly?

The commodity, weight, dimensions, origin airport and required arrival date. With those we can say whether air is the right mode and what the ACID filing will need. The movement out of the airport is planned with the booking rather than after release, because storage at an air terminal costs materially more than at a seaport.

Tell us the cargo and the deadline

Commodity, weight, dimensions, origin airport and required arrival date are enough for us to say whether air is the right mode and what the filing will need.

Request a freight quote Contact our operations desk