EgyptAir has resumed service to Los Angeles for the first time in more than two decades, as the carrier accelerates its North American expansion strategy and targets underserved U.S.-Egypt markets with its new Airbus A350-900 fleet.
The Star Alliance carrier will offer three flights per week between Cairo International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, becoming the sole scheduled operator on the route, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.
The launch comes ahead of the planned start of 3X-weekly Cairo-Chicago O’Hare flights on June 21, also operated by A350-900s. The additions will expand EgyptAir’s U.S. network to five destinations, complementing existing services to New York John F. Kennedy (JFK), Newark and Washington Dulles.
Los Angeles represents the largest unserved U.S.-Egypt market, Sabre Market Intelligence data shows. Cairo-Los Angeles generated approximately 56,800 two-way passengers in 2025, making it the third-largest city pair between the two countries behind only New York and Washington. Cairo-Chicago ranked fourth, with about 36,000 annual passengers.
EgyptAir previously served Los Angeles in the 1990s, operating via a stopover at JFK onboard Boeing 767-300ER equipment. However, flights were suspended following the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 in October 1999, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 60 mi. south of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. Data provided by the U.S. Transportation Department shows the Cairo-Los Angeles market has remained unserved ever since, apart from a brief period in January 2001.
The expansion is being enabled by EgyptAir’s fleet renewal program and the arrival of the A350-900. The carrier currently operates a long-haul fleet comprising 787-9s, 777-300ERs and A330s, and has now taken delivery of three of the 16 A350-900s on order. The first of the A350s arrived in February.
The carrier is also expanding at a time when transatlantic connectivity between North America and North Africa continues to grow. OAG data shows total U.S.-North Africa capacity will reach approximately 1.46 million two-way seats during summer 2026, up from 1.32 million a year earlier. Royal Air Maroc remains the region’s largest operator with a 44.6% market share, while EgyptAir accounts for 30.6%.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s overall U.S. market continues to expand. Total U.S.-Egypt O&D traffic reached 813,700 two-way passengers in 2025, up 7.7% year on year, according to Sabre data.
Related Content
