Hurghada is a practical arrival point for leisure travel to Egypt’s northern Red Sea coast, including Hurghada itself, El Gouna, Soma Bay, Makadi Bay and nearby diving locations.
A private charter to Hurghada provides greater control over departure times, passenger groups, baggage and onward resort transfers. The journey still needs to be coordinated around the correct arrival airport, Egyptian landing requirements, parking, ground handling, customs and the final destination on the coast.
ASM Charter coordinates private charter journeys from the initial enquiry through to itinerary review, quotation and passenger arrangements.
Information verified: 6 August 2026.
Airport availability, landing permission, parking, handling, customs, fuel and operating procedures must be reconfirmed for every movement.
Airport options for Hurghada and the Red Sea#
Hurghada International Airport is normally the primary airport for Hurghada, El Gouna and Soma Bay.
Marsa Alam International Airport can provide a more practical option for Port Ghalib, Marsa Alam and resorts farther south. It should not be selected simply because the wider destination is described as the Red Sea; the final hotel, marina or dive location should determine the airport choice.
| Airport | IATA / ICAO | Indicative ground transfer | GA terminal or FBO | Slots, PPR and night operations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurghada International Airport | HRG / HEGN | Around 10–20 minutes to central Hurghada, 30–40 minutes to El Gouna and approximately 40–60 minutes to Soma Bay, depending on the resort and road conditions. | A dedicated business-aviation FBO is not clearly identified in the public airport information reviewed. The passenger process, handler, vehicles and any meet-and-assist arrangements should be confirmed for the individual movement. | Hurghada is an international airport and airport of entry. Public operational data does not identify a standing slot requirement, but Egyptian landing permission, handling acceptance, parking and current airport restrictions must still be confirmed. Night movements remain subject to the current airport and service arrangements. |
| Marsa Alam International Airport | RMF / HEMA | Approximately 5–15 minutes to Port Ghalib and around 50–75 minutes to Marsa Alam town. Transfer times to individual southern resorts vary considerably. | No separate general-aviation terminal is clearly identified in the public information reviewed. Local handling and passenger arrangements should be organised in advance. | Operational airport data lists slots as required and identifies the airport as an international airport of entry. The airport handles scheduled movements during overnight hours, but the slot, parking, handling and service window for a private movement must be individually confirmed. |
Hurghada International Airport is located approximately six kilometres from the city, while El Gouna’s official destination information places the resort less than 40 minutes from the airport.
Soma Bay’s own published material has shown different transfer estimates across its pages and brochures. For charter planning, allowing approximately 40–60 minutes is safer until the exact resort entrance and vehicle route are confirmed.
Marsa Alam International Airport is approximately 60 kilometres north of Marsa Alam town. Port Ghalib is much closer, with its official information placing the resort around five minutes from the airport.
Choosing between Hurghada and Marsa Alam#
Hurghada International Airport will usually be the first option considered for passengers staying in:
- Hurghada
- El Gouna
- Makadi Bay
- Sahl Hasheesh
- Soma Bay
- Safaga and nearby northern Red Sea locations
Marsa Alam International Airport may be more practical for:
- Port Ghalib
- Marsa Alam town
- Coraya Bay
- Southern diving resorts
- Liveaboard departures operating from southern marinas
- Hotels or marine programmes located significantly south of Safaga
The closest airport by straight-line distance is not always the strongest option.
Parking, handling availability, arrival time, customs arrangements and the road journey after landing should be considered together. A slightly longer flight or transfer may be preferable when it provides more dependable airport arrangements for the requested schedule.
When requesting a quote, provide the exact hotel, marina, dive centre or final destination rather than listing only “Hurghada” or “the Red Sea.”
Getting to Hurghada by private charter#
Indicative block-time ranges to Hurghada include:
| Route | Indicative block time |
|---|---|
| Dubai to Hurghada | Approximately 3½ to 4 hours |
| Frankfurt to Hurghada | Approximately 4½ to 5 hours |
These are planning estimates rather than guaranteed flight times.
The actual duration will depend on:
- The departure airport
- Assigned routing
- Regional airspace conditions
- Wind
- Aircraft performance
- Passenger and baggage load
- Required fuel reserves
- Air traffic restrictions
- Departure and arrival procedures
For a suitable aircraft, both routes can often be considered as direct sectors. The relevant operator must nevertheless confirm whether the proposed flight can operate nonstop with the required payload, baggage and fuel reserves.
The aircraft should not be selected by route length alone. Passenger count, luggage, diving equipment, cabin requirements, airport suitability and aircraft availability all affect the final charter proposal.
Arriving at Hurghada International Airport#
For an international charter arrival, the operating plan may need to coordinate:
- Egyptian landing permission
- Handling acceptance
- Parking
- Passenger and crew manifests
- Passport details
- Visa documentation
- Customs and immigration
- Baggage processing
- Passenger vehicles
- Crew transport and accommodation
- Catering and aircraft services
- Current NOTAM requirements
Hurghada is an international airport of entry, but the exact private-flight passenger route and available handling arrangements should be confirmed before departure.
Passengers remain responsible for holding the correct passport, visa and travel documents for Egypt.
Eligible travellers may be able to apply through Egypt’s official electronic visa system. The Egyptian e-Visa portal advises creating the application at least seven days before departure. Eligibility and entry conditions should be checked against the passenger’s nationality and purpose of travel.
Visa-on-arrival arrangements may be available to eligible nationalities at Hurghada Airport, but passengers should not assume eligibility without checking current official requirements before travel.
ASM Charter coordinates the passenger information required for the confirmed flight, but visa approval and admission to Egypt remain subject to the relevant authorities.
Ground transfers to El Gouna and Soma Bay#
The onward transfer should be organised as part of the charter journey rather than left until arrival.
El Gouna#
El Gouna is north of Hurghada. Its official destination information places it approximately 25 kilometres from Hurghada and less than 40 minutes from Hurghada International Airport. Some official El Gouna transport pages show a planning time of around 30 minutes, depending on the route and destination within the town.
Provide the exact hotel, marina or residential address because transfer time can differ between the resort’s areas.
Soma Bay#
Soma Bay is south of Hurghada and requires a longer road transfer.
A practical charter-planning allowance is approximately 40–60 minutes from Hurghada International Airport. The final time depends on traffic, the selected hotel and the controlled access route into the resort area.
Hurghada and nearby resorts#
Transfers to central Hurghada are generally shorter, but the wider resort coastline extends both north and south of the city.
For every transfer, provide:
- Hotel or resort name
- Marina or liveaboard departure point
- Number of passengers
- Number and size of bags
- Diving or watersports equipment
- Child-seat requirements
- Required hotel-arrival time
- Return-transfer details
- Any security or access instructions
The vehicle plan should be based on baggage volume as well as passenger count.
Marsa Alam as the southern alternative#
Marsa Alam International Airport should be considered when the final destination is on the southern Red Sea coast.
The airport is particularly convenient for Port Ghalib, which is approximately five minutes away by road. It can also support travel to Marsa Alam and other southern resorts, although the road journey to individual properties may be substantially longer.
Marsa Alam is an international airport developed specifically to support travel to the South Red Sea region. Public operational information lists it as an airport of entry and identifies slots as required.
Before proposing Marsa Alam, the operating review should confirm:
- Airport slot
- Egyptian landing permission
- Parking
- Handler acceptance
- Customs and immigration
- Ground-service hours
- Fuel availability
- Passenger processing
- Vehicle access
- Distance to the final resort or marina
- Suitable alternate-airport arrangements
Marsa Alam should not be presented as a routine alternative for El Gouna or central Hurghada because the resulting ground journey would work against the purpose of selecting the most practical airport.
Travelling with diving equipment#
Diving and snorkelling are available across Hurghada, El Gouna, Soma Bay and Marsa Alam, and Egypt’s official tourism information presents Red Sea diving as a year-round activity.
Passengers travelling for a dive programme should disclose their equipment before the aircraft and baggage plan are confirmed.
This may include:
- Dive bags
- Regulators
- Buoyancy-control equipment
- Wetsuits
- Fins
- Underwater cameras
- Camera housings
- Lighting equipment
- Batteries
- Rebreather components
- Specialist or oversized cases
Compressed cylinders and certain batteries or specialist items can be subject to carriage restrictions. They should not be presented at departure without prior disclosure and operator acceptance.
The charter team needs the approximate dimensions and weight of the equipment, not only the number of bags. Baggage capacity and loading access differ between aircraft, and a passenger group carrying dive equipment may require a different solution from a group of the same size travelling with standard luggage.
Planning the arrival around a liveaboard or marina departure#
Passengers joining a liveaboard or yacht programme may have a fixed boarding window.
The flight schedule should allow time for:
- Customs and immigration
- Baggage delivery
- Loading diving equipment into the vehicles
- Road transfer to the marina
- Port or vessel check-in
- Weather or traffic delays
- Any equipment inspection
- Delays to the inbound aircraft
The marina name and vessel departure time should be supplied when the charter enquiry is submitted.
A marina departure from Port Ghalib may support Marsa Alam Airport as the stronger option, while a departure from Hurghada or an El Gouna marina will normally favour Hurghada International Airport.
Planning your charter#
ASM Charter coordinates the customer-facing charter journey while drawing on ASM’s wider operational capability for applicable permits, handling, airport arrangements and fuel coordination.
ASM’s flight permit support can coordinate the relevant landing and overflight requirements for the confirmed operation.
ASM’s ground handling services can support the coordination of aircraft, crew, passenger, baggage and local airport requirements through the relevant providers.
What ASM Charter needs to prepare a quote#
Please provide:
- Route
The departure city or airport and preferred Red Sea arrival airport. - Final destination
The exact hotel, resort, marina, residence or dive centre. - Travel dates
Preferred departure time, required arrival time and return date. - Passenger count
Including children or infants where applicable. - Passenger documentation
Nationalities and any relevant visa considerations. - Baggage
Number, approximate weight and dimensions of bags. - Diving or specialist equipment
Equipment type, case dimensions, weight and battery information. - Journey structure
One-way, return or multi-sector itinerary. - Ground transport
Vehicle type, child seats, hotel transfer or marina-transfer requirements. - Passenger requirements
Catering, mobility assistance or other relevant arrangements.
Where the arrival airport has not been selected, provide the final destination. ASM Charter can then review Hurghada and Marsa Alam against the complete journey.
When should the charter be requested?#
Submit the charter request as soon as the accommodation, dive programme or travel dates are provisionally known.
For an international leisure movement, requesting the flight at least 7–10 days in advance is recommended where possible. This is a planning recommendation rather than a guaranteed approval period.
Additional time may be needed for:
- Peak holiday travel
- Larger passenger groups
- Diving or specialist equipment
- Multi-sector journeys
- Landing permission
- Slot or parking constraints
- Visa applications
- Ground vehicles
- Liveaboard connections
- Late-night or early-morning movements
The official Egypt e-Visa portal itself advises applicants to create an e-Visa application at least seven days before departure. Charter and accommodation arrangements should therefore not be left until after the document-planning window has passed.
Short-notice requests can still be reviewed, but the available aircraft, airport, schedule and handling options may be narrower.
A note on peak periods#
The Red Sea supports diving and leisure travel throughout the year rather than having one fixed diving season.
However, aircraft, hotel, vehicle and marina availability can tighten when several demand periods overlap, including:
- European winter-sun travel
- Christmas and New Year
- Easter and spring school holidays
- Autumn half-term periods
- Regional public holidays
- Dive-club and group departures
- Major resort events
- Long weekends in the GCC
El Gouna’s official tourism information identifies fall and winter as particularly popular periods for its holiday-home and leisure market, while Egypt’s tourism authority promotes diving across Red Sea destinations throughout the year.
During these periods, parking, local handling, suitable aircraft and correctly sized transfer vehicles should be requested early.
Related charter planning#
For a wider overview of airport options and destination planning, review private charter travel across Egypt.
Passengers comparing Egypt’s Red Sea coasts can also review the guide to private charter travel to Sharm El Sheikh.
The Hurghada coast is usually more practical for El Gouna and Soma Bay, while Sharm El Sheikh serves destinations on the southern Sinai Peninsula. The right option depends on the hotel, marina, programme and wider itinerary rather than the resort category alone.
Request a charter quote#
Share your route, dates, passenger count, baggage, diving equipment and final Red Sea destination with ASM Charter.
The team will review the airport options, transfer requirements and operating conditions before presenting the proposed charter arrangement.
Email: charter@asm.aero
Telephone: +971 4 409 7788
Aircraft availability, pricing, landing permission, slots, parking, customs, handling, fuel, ground transport and operator acceptance remain subject to confirmation and operational feasibility.
Private Charter, Coordinated Around Your Journey
Share your route, preferred timing and passenger requirements. One charter team coordinates the enquiry, the proposal and the arrangements around your flight, from first request to arrival.