After Red Sea, negative experience at Cairo International Airport

[Etmutt]

That's not a "bribe," it is "bakshish."

ok but did you try / witness it first hand?

 

[BoltSnap]

ok but did you try / witness it first hand?

What difference does it make to you? Everyone gives a little bakshish to get things moving in Egypt.

 

[ontdiver]

It may be just a coincidence, but I am not surprised after the recent attacks involving pagers that Egyptian airport screening personnel were taking a second look at anything with batteries.

 

[AeroSpartacus]

I flew through Cairo 2 years ago with a group and had pretty much the same experience with security. We had to hang out for a while at Burger King outside security to wait for them to let us through, then just me and one other diver in the group got told to move our regulators to checked bags out of our carry-ons.

 

[Etmutt]

What difference does it make to you? Everyone gives a little bakshish to get things moving in Egypt.

well i want to know for when i will go visit egypt > is it real or should i avoid doing it

 

[divezonescuba]

On one of our trips to egypt, in the Sharm airport, the security screening guy asked to be gifted a memory card. It was handed over fearing what could happen. When the airline representative heard about it, he went over and demanded that the security guy return the card, saying that corruption was not acceptable in Egypt. In our case it was just one individual on one trip, not a systemic issue.

 

[Adr1an]

In Sharm, Hurghada or Marsa Alam airports most of the security staff can easily recognize diving gear, so even if you happen to find the odd person who doesn't there's always going to be a colleague/superior to sort things out. In Cairo things are vastly different and the odds of finding a fellow who believes a regulator set can be a fancy weapon are not to be underestimated.
This being said, the real risk of taking borderline stuff (like li-po batteries of larger mAh rating etc) in the backpack is to see them denied at the second security check, after passport control. The odds to see the fellow pull some piece of paper saying anything that is detachable and over 2000mAh is not allowed onboard of the plane aren't exactly zero.

 

[nippurmagnum]

FWIW, I've been through Cairo Airport six times without incident when carrying my regulators in my hand luggage.

HOWEVER, one time I was going through security at the airport and when I emptied my pockets, the security screener who was wearing a serious military looking uniform saw that I had removed a harmonica from my pocket. He looked very concerned for a moment (I think at first sight it looked to him like a clip for a handgun). Then he realized that it was a harmonica, and he immediately brightened, picked up my harmonica, and started playing random notes. He called over to other guards and laughed and kept playing random notes, happier than I've ever seen anybody be happy.

I told him that I would be honored if he would accept the harmonica as a gift (in part thinking that, regardless, I was never going to put that harmonica in my mouth again), but he refused. I can still picture the smile on his face though.

 

[Cornbread O'Malley]

@nippurmagnum That is a funny story!

 

[2stroketony]

I enjoyed my week of diving in the Red Sea. Trip Report - MY Ghazala Explorer and north Red Sea, Hurghada to Straits of Tiran

I returned to Cairo and had quite a negative experience with Cairo International Airport security.

My friends and I booked airfare to Cairo for two days of seeing antiquities then we took Egypt Air to get to Hurghada. All went well in Hurghada for the most part; the adventures started on our return flight to Cairo. We learned that it is useless to arrive too early for the flight as security screening won't even start until about two hours before flight departure. It seems the security guys just do what they want to on their time. But we all got to our flight with minor inconvenience. The trouble for me was waiting in Cairo. I arrived Cairo and checked in for my flight on British Airways home via London Heathrow (another lesson learned as I didn't understand how inefficient and stressful London Heathrow is for travelers).

I arrived at my gate at Cairo international and was ushered to the security screener. All I carried was a small, soft-sided accessories bag. The screener started rummaging through my items and found my two 18650 batteries for my dive lights. I had the batteries separated in a plastic bag. Screener said batteries prohibited as carry-on. I argued that I couldn't check them in my check baggage, and the argument continued for about five minutes. The screener finally asked some guy who was probably the head honcho at the gate. Head honcho said batteries were okay for carry-on.

Screener continued rummaging through my bag and came upon my regulator and octopus. Again screener said item was prohibited. Again protest from me. I figured he didn't know what a regulator does so I tried explaining to no avail. Head honcho is called over again and he agreed with screener that regulator is prohibited. Another 10-minute argument. Finally, head honcho advises I check my bag as check-in. I probably wasn't going to win this argument so conceded. After the frustrating experience, I boarded the airplane with only a jacket and my travel documents and realized my house key was in the bag.

My bag with the regulator did not arrive home with me. I had to call one of my relatives who happened to have a spare key to let me in my house. Then I waited two days for British Airways to locate my bag and deliver it to my house. Fortunately, no items were stolen or missing. I was ready to start filing insurance claims!

Lost 3 bags in 7 years going thru Cairo. Detained within security area for duration of layover. Worst airport ever been thru. Good luck getting thru to Egypt airlines at their offices. No one answers the phones. If you do lose something and you get back to Cairo airport check their lost and found. It's underground at the airport and is about 3 acres of luggage in piles. Disgusting.