Carry-On Rules for North Africa: Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia & More

North African airlines have different fare and cabin rules. Compare the booked operating carriers, including connections; do not assume a single regional allowance.

Airline-by-Airline Rules

Royal Air Maroc (AT)

Royal Air Maroc permits one 55×40×25 cm cabin bag:10 kg in Economy or 12 kg in Business. One separate personal item up to 40×30×15 cm and 2 kg is included.

Check the operating carrier on connections. The airline states checks at check-in and boarding. A loyalty or checked-baggage benefit does not establish an extra cabin piece. Full Royal Air Maroc guide.

EgyptAir (MS)

EgyptAir’s standard published allowance:

• **Weight:**8 kg per piece
• **Dimensions:**55×40×23 cm,118 cm total
• **Pieces:**one in Economy, two in Business; route and aircraft exceptions apply

US routes allow one cabin piece plus a personal item. South Africa departures use 56×36×23 cm and 7 kg per piece. Confirm the operating carrier on codeshares and use the EgyptAir guide for the exception details.

Tunisair (TU)

Economy one 55×40×20 cm/115 cm main up to 8 kg; one 40×30×20 cm personal item with unknown weight. Business two mains, but current website 10 kg total conflicts with official magazine 10 kg each. Confirm Business weight and ticket-specific conditions. Passenger guide · Gazelle97, printed98–99.

Nouvelair (BJ)

One 55×35×25 cm/8 kg main, plus one listed accessory up to 2 kg; handbag 40×20×15 cm in the French policy. The source says main and accessory cannot be combined; do not pool weights. No separate infant cabin bag. A qualifying stroller through age4 substitutes for an adult/child cabin bag with the other piece free in the hold; it is not an unconditional extra cabin piece. French baggage policy.

Air Cairo (SM)

Published Air Cairo-operated allowance is one 55×40×23 cm/118 cm main up to 7 kg. Listed laptop/camera/umbrella articles do not establish an unrestricted second backpack. Partner and charter-ticket allowances may differ. Carry-on policy.

Other Regional Operators

No common North African 10 kg allowance is established. For Air Algérie, Libyan Wings or another operator, request the current ticket-specific cabin dimensions, weight, piece count and operating status rather than copying a regional default. This scoped review does not certify their current numeric policy.

Airport-Specific Notes

Cairo International Airport (CAI)

Cairo is a major hub for Africa and the Middle East, and its screening is thorough by design. Key points:

• Arrive 3 hours early for international departures — security queues and document checks can be lengthy
• Carry-on bags pass through multiple X-ray points: once at the terminal entrance and again at the departure gate
• Electronics (laptops, tablets) must be removed from bags at both X-ray checkpoints
• Liquids are checked carefully; the 100 ml / 1-litre bag rule is enforced
• On busy days (particularly Thursday and Friday departures), the gate queue alone can take 30–40 minutes

Marrakech Menara (RAK) and Casablanca Mohammed V (CMN)

Both of Morocco's primary international airports operate to modern, European standards:

• Marrakech (RAK) is efficient and compact; security lines are fast outside of peak summer and school holiday periods
• Casablanca (CMN) is Morocco's main hub and larger; security is thorough but well-organised
• Royal Air Maroc publishes checks at check-in and boarding; the frequency at CMN is not measured here
• Both airports handle significant European budget airline traffic (Ryanair, easyJet, Transavia), so security procedures align with European expectations

Tunis-Carthage International (TUN)

Follow the current operating carrier and departure-airport instructions for check-in timing and security. This guide has no measured gate-check frequency or route/season ranking. Nouvelair’s published policy allows checks and possible charges for excess pieces, size or weight; numeric standard cabin fees and airport-wide enforcement rates are not established here.

Tips for Morocco and Egypt with European Budget Connections

Many travellers connect through Morocco or Egypt on their way to or from European budget airlines. A few considerations:

Size alignment: Compare every dimension separately. EgyptAir’s standard 55×40×23 cm does not match every other carrier; a bag can pass one airline and fail another.

Weight discrepancy: EgyptAir’s standard is 8 kg per piece. easyJet’s included small bag and purchased large bag each allow up to 15 kg but have different dimensions; a connecting ticket can also change whether an overhead bag is included. Check size, weight and entitlement separately.

Multi-carrier itineraries: When booking separate tickets, you are responsible for your own bags between flights. Know the rules for each carrier independently — the most generous carrier's allowance does not carry through to a separately ticketed flight.

Liquid rules: All North African airports enforce international liquid rules (100 ml per container, 1-litre clear resealable bag). Duty-free liquids purchased beyond security in a sealed bag are generally exempt but may be questioned at transit security points.