Why On Earth Is EgyptAir Flying An A330 Daily To UK's 19th Busiest Airport?

Prachi is a London-based journalist with extensive experience in the aviation industry. She has worked for several leading industry publications, covering a broad range of topics. Her expertise lies in aircraft maintenance, emerging technologies, and advanced air mobility. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Journalism, focusing on data journalism and its potential to transform conventional aviation reporting.

Egyptair is the second-largest airline in Africa, primarily based on fleet size and annual passenger volume, behind Ethiopian Airlines. The airline has a long history of flying to the United Kingdom, dating back roughly seven decades (when its predecessors, such as Misrair and United Arab Airlines, are taken into account).

It currently serves London Heathrow and Manchester and is scheduled to launch flights to its third UK destination, Birmingham, on October 27. However, that is not the only expansion we will see. The airline will soon operate one daily Airbus A330 flight to the UK’s 19th busiest airport, Cardiff International Airport (CWL).

EgyptAir Cargo Is Launching Flights Between Cairo And Cardiff

With that being said, this will not be a passenger service. AeroRoutes recently reported that EgyptAir's cargo arm, EgyptAir Cargo, is moving forward with plans to launch a route between Cairo and Cardiff. The carrier initially announced the service at the El Alamein Air Show as part of its winter schedule to support Egyptian agricultural exports.

The route was originally scheduled to launch on October 25, coinciding with the start of the Northern Hemisphere winter season, but its launch has now been pushed back to October 30 and will run through March 27, 2027. The service will primarily carry fresh produce, including Egyptian vegetables, fruits, and other products destined for European markets.

EgyptAir Cargo will deploy its Airbus A330 freighter, which can carry up to 22 pallets on its main deck and can accommodate up to 26 LD3 containers, according to Airbus. It is also “the only mid-size freighter capable of accommodating 96 x 125-inch pallets in a side-by-side configuration.”

EgyptAir Cargo Will Become Cardiff’s Only Scheduled Widebody Operator

Notably, when the EgyptAir Cargo service begins, it will be the only widebody operation at the Welsh airport in terms of scheduled services. It does see widebody aircraft regularly, but these operations are split between maintenance, cargo, and seasonal flying. Just recently, on October 16, a British Airways Airbus A350-1000 landed at Cardiff for the first time.

However, the aircraft was there for heavy maintenance. The airport is home to BA Engineering Wales, which is a purpose-built facility that maintains British Airways' long-haul widebody fleet. So, Boeing 777s and 787 Dreamliners regularly arrive at the facility for scheduled maintenance, and the A350-1000 has now joined them.

Additionally, Cardiff has accommodated widebody cargo flights in the past. In fact, in 2024, European Cargo, one of the UK's largest cargo operators, established a dedicated base at the airport and operated large Airbus freighters on routes between China and Wales. However, the cargo airline ceased all flight operations in May 2026 and formally entered administration in June.

In terms of scheduled passenger services, Qatar Airways was the last airline to operate a scheduled widebody route to Cardiff. The Qatari flag carrier launched flights between Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) and Cardiff in May 2018 and was operating up to five weekly services using the Boeing 787-8. The route ended in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not returned.

Cardiff Airport Is Growing

Cardiff Airport has been seeing growth in recent years. According to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), it is one of the country's fastest-growing airports. The airport recorded a 24% increase in passenger numbers in the first quarter of 2026 and a further 16% rise in the second quarter.

It welcomed WestJet this year. The Canadian carrier launched seasonal summer flights between Toronto and Cardiff and is scheduled to return next summer. The leisure carrier TUI Airways also announced several new destinations, including Hurghada in Egypt, Faro in Portugal, Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, and Kittilä in Finland.

Looking ahead to the upcoming winter season, Crystal Ski Holidays, through TUI, is launching a new weekly direct flight from Cardiff to Turin, Italy. The service will operate from December 20 until March 14, 2027, joining existing ski flights to Chambéry in France and Salzburg in Austria.

TUI has also expanded its winter schedule, maintaining an increased aircraft presence at Cardiff to serve long-haul holiday destinations such as Barbados and Cancún, alongside European winter destinations including Fuerteventura and Tenerife. The tour operator is also introducing direct winter day trips to Kittilä in Finnish Lapland.