Three terminals link by MiniMetro at Cairo International
MiniMetro is the small automated people mover that shuttles between Terminals 1, 2, and 3 at Cairo International Airport (CAI). It runs on an elevated guideway and is mainly for airside transfer, helping you move between EgyptAir’s main hub in T3 and the newer T2, plus the older T1 complex. Signs for MiniMetro usually appear after security and immigration, not at curb level.
Trains run in short, frequent hops, and the ride between adjacent terminals typically takes around 3–5 minutes once you’re on board. That’s faster than walking the long corridors that connect some parts of CAI, especially if you’re moving from a T3 gate to a T2 departure during a tight connection. Count the full transfer as closer to 15–20 minutes once you add walking and queues for security or passport control.
MiniMetro operates daily during normal flight schedules, roughly covering the overnight bank of departures from around 03:00 through late-night arrivals near 01:00, though exact hours shift with terminal operations. If you have a very late or very early flight touching the Seasonal terminal, do not assume a direct MiniMetro link from there; Seasonal traffic typically uses dedicated buses instead.
There’s no separate ticket for MiniMetro; access is tied to your boarding pass and terminal clearance, and staff at Terminals 1–3 will usually direct you toward the platform if your next flight departs from a different terminal. Landside passengers coming from downtown Cairo, Heliopolis, or Giza cannot ride MiniMetro from the street; you first pass security at the entrance and then move inward toward the system.
Because MiniMetro is automated, you often stand rather than sit, and each car holds a moderate number of passengers; during peak EgyptAir waves in T3 around 06:00–09:00 and 18:00–22:00, expect crowding. If you’re connecting between a non-Schengen-style arrival in T1 and a departure in T2 or T3, watch your boarding time closely and build at least a 90-minute buffer in case you hit long queues before you even reach the MiniMetro platform.
Tip: If your inbound flight changes you from T3 to T2 at the last minute, check the terminal printed on the physical boarding pass at the gate; staff in T3 routinely redirect you to MiniMetro if your final departure board in T2 has shifted stands.