2026 Egypt El Alamein Airshow

My Adventure: El Alamein International Airshow 2026

Inspired by the breathtaking images from 2024, I knew I had to experience this adventure for myself. I organized the entire trip to Egypt completely on my own. Hiring a private driver was an investment that paid off in every possible way—given the chaotic traffic, I was incredibly relieved not to be driving through Cairo myself.

The airshow itself proved to be an extremely diverse and mostly well-organized event packed with highlights. You can really feel this event growing in size and significance every two years.

A Dream for Aviation Fans: The Static Display

The static display at the El Alamein International Airshow 2026 stood out with its incredible variety. What absolutely thrilled me was how accessible and hands-on the show was. It was fascinating to have the freedom to move completely unobstructed on the tarmac right among the aircraft. As a fighter jet enthusiast, being able to experience these jets up close on the ground and actually touch them—rather than just viewing them from afar—was a massive highlight.

My personal highlights were seeing the Sukhoi Su-57 again for the first time since 2015, as well as checking out the rare Chinese participants in the static display.

Challenges for Photography

Of course, shooting in the desert comes with its own set of photographic challenges. The heat shimmer was clearly visible on the ground and, as the day progressed, in the air as well—though that was to be expected in these temperatures. I also had to battle harsh backlighting depending on the sun's position, and the display axis was unfortunately very far away.

To make up for the missing focal length, I had to make a compromise: I attached my 1.4x extender and shot at f/10. Despite these challenging conditions, I am very happy with how the pictures turned out.

A Wish for the Future

If I could make a wish for the next edition, it would be to see flybys from the local air force. Egypt operates such an incredible variety of different helicopter and jet types—that would easily be the absolute highlight of the show!

In the end, I can draw a thoroughly positive conclusion. I am incredibly happy with my photos and the unforgettable memories I brought back from this trip.

Maybe 2028 again...