In the late thirties of last century, Prof. Abdel-Rahman El-Sawy, the first Egyptian Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, thought of establishing Aeronautical Engineering Studies in the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University. He sent Dr. Ibrahim Adham El-Demirdash, who was then a lecturer in the Faculty, on a mission to England to study programs and methods of teaching Aeronautical Engineering there. He returned back in a year, and worked in collaboration with Dr. Kerdany and Dr. Mostafa Abo Zahra, who were specialists in Aerodynamics. Aeronautical Engineering studies were set up within the fourth year of the Mechanical Engineering Department starting from 1938/1939. In the meantime, two more missions were sent abroad: Dr. Mahmoud Hussein to Switzerland, and Dr. Shukri Ibrahim to England and then to America.

In the late forties, Dr. Abdel Rahman El-Sawi , who had left the Faculty to work in the Ministry of Defense, suggested the development of  Aeronautical Engineering studies so as  to begin from the third year of the Mechanical Engineering program. By that time, the Department received back Dr. Hamed Kamal EL-Din who had been on a mission to study Airplane production, and Dr. Mahmoud Hussein who had been on a mission to study Aerodynamics.

After the Egyptian Revolution, Aeronautical Engineering studies were developed into a separate scientific Department in the year 1953/1954 and began to offer a Bachelor degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

Many faculty members joined the new Department from all Egyptian universities, like Dr. Mohamed Ismail Rashed from Cairo University, Dr. Mohammed Rashad El- Badrawi and Dr. Osama Amin El-Kholy from Alexandria University, Dr. Mohamed Ezzat Mohsen from Assiut University, and Dr. Hassan El-Sherif from Switzerland .

In the year 1961-1962, the Department of Aeronautical Engineering further expanded its program of study so as to begin from the second year.

That situation continued up to the year 1972 when the university decided to re-merge specializing degrees (Aeronautics, Design and Production, Power, Auto and Nuclear) and keep specialized contents only to the fourth year in Mechanical Engineering. This new situation continued up to the year 1986-1987 when the Department became independent again. With its present expanded program, the Department began to receive students from the first year, and was finally renamed as “Aerospace Engineering Department.”