Sharjah
International Airport
Twenty minutes from Dubai, with a 13,320 foot runway and no slot requirement. A cargo and low cost field rather than a premium hub, which is exactly why it stays uncongested for business aviation.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Sharjah at a glance
Sharjah carries the ICAO code OMSJ and the identifier SHJ. A single runway of 13,320 feet at 116 feet elevation, ICAO Category 9 fire cover, in public and military use.
Its traffic is predominantly cargo and low cost scheduled rather than premium passenger, and that mix is the reason it remains comparatively easy to operate into.
Correction
Our previous page had the elevation wrong
The earlier version of this guide published Sharjah’s elevation as 16 feet. The correct figure is 116 feet.
A hundred foot error at a sea level airport would not on its own change an aircraft decision, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. But it is exactly the kind of mistake that should never survive into a page a crew might actually reference, and it had been sitting there since 2016.
It has been corrected here and in the underlying data sheet, along with the same check applied across every airport in this library.
Why here
The uncongested option near Dubai
Sharjah is roughly twenty minutes from Dubai depending on traffic, and it carries none of the constraints that shape the Dubai fields.
There is no slot requirement. Dubai International has been Level 3 coordinated since 2010, with scarce peak capacity and penalties for slot misuse. Al Maktoum is easier but fills completely during airshow weeks. Sharjah has neither problem.
The runway is longer than either at Dubai International, at 13,320 feet, so nothing in business aviation is constrained. Ground handling is mandatory, as at DXB. Jet A-1 and AVGAS are both available.
What Sharjah does not have is dedicated business aviation infrastructure of the kind at Al Bateen. It is a working airport that happens to be quiet, rather than a field built for private traffic. For an uncomplicated arrival near Dubai, that is usually enough.
Permits
What the UAE requires
Landing permits for non-scheduled flights into the UAE are issued by the General Civil Aviation Authority and apply at every UAE airport, Sharjah included. The absence of a slot requirement does not remove the permit requirement.
We file it as a matter of course, and at Sharjah that is generally the only approval in play, which is a simpler picture than either Dubai airport presents.
Nearby
Sharjah and the UAE fields
The UAE has more airport capacity in a small area than almost anywhere, and the choice is usually about congestion and ground time rather than capability.
OMDBDubai InternationalOMDWAl Maktoum International, DubaiOMAAZayed International, Abu DhabiOMADAl Bateen Executive, Abu Dhabi
Dubai International and Al Maktoum for Dubai proper, accepting slots at the former and airshow peaks at the latter. Ras Al Khaimah is further north and better placed for the northern emirates themselves. Fujairah sits on the other coast entirely. For Abu Dhabi, Al Bateen is the dedicated business aviation field with Zayed International for larger aircraft.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Sharjah, answered
Can private jets use Sharjah?
Yes, comfortably. The runway is 13,320 feet at 116 feet elevation with ICAO Category 9 fire cover. There is no slot requirement, which is the main practical difference from Dubai International. Ground handling is mandatory.
Why use Sharjah instead of a Dubai airport?
Because it is quiet. Sharjah is roughly twenty minutes from Dubai depending on traffic, has no slot constraint, and does not carry the congestion of DXB or the airshow peaks of DWC. For a trip where the destination is northern Dubai or Sharjah itself, or where you simply want an uncomplicated arrival, it prices and operates well.
What was wrong with your previous Sharjah page?
The elevation. It published 16 feet, and the correct figure is 116 feet. That is a hundred foot error, and while it would not on its own change an aircraft decision at a sea-level airport, it is exactly the kind of mistake that should not survive into a page crews might use. It has been corrected here and in our underlying data.
How long is the runway at Sharjah?
13,320 feet by 197 feet, designated 12/30, in asphalt concrete. That is longer than either runway at Dubai International and takes anything in business aviation without difficulty.
Is ground handling mandatory at Sharjah?
Yes. Handling has to go through an approved agent, the same position as at Dubai International. Jet A-1 and AVGAS are both available.
Does Sharjah require a slot?
No slot requirement applies, which is the main operational advantage over Dubai International. The UAE landing permit from the General Civil Aviation Authority is still required for non-scheduled flights, as it is at every UAE airport.
Is Sharjah a military airport?
It is recorded as public and military use. Civil operations run normally, but the shared status is worth knowing when planning around exercises or state movements.
What is Sharjah known for in aviation?
Cargo and low-cost scheduled traffic, rather than premium passenger operations. That is part of why it stays comparatively uncongested for business aviation: the traffic mix does not compete for the same slots and stands in the way a full-service hub does.
Sharjah or Ras Al Khaimah for the northern emirates?
Sharjah is closer to Dubai and has the longer runway and higher fire category. Ras Al Khaimah is further north and better placed for the northern emirates themselves, with no mandatory handling. For a Dubai-adjacent trip Sharjah usually wins; for Ras Al Khaimah or Umm Al Quwain, fly to RAK.
Do you need a permit to fly into Sharjah?
Yes. Landing permits for non-scheduled flights into the UAE are issued by the General Civil Aviation Authority and apply at every UAE airport including Sharjah. We file it as a matter of course.
How busy is Sharjah for private traffic?
Considerably less busy than either Dubai airport. That is its appeal. It does not have the dedicated business aviation infrastructure of Al Bateen, but for an uncomplicated arrival close to Dubai it is frequently the easiest field in the region to operate into.
What time zone is Sharjah in?
Gulf Standard Time, UTC+4, all year. The UAE does not observe daylight saving.
Get Your Number
Request a Sharjah charter
Send the dates and where you are actually going. If the destination is Dubai we will price Sharjah against DXB and DWC honestly, including the drive, so you can see whether the quieter arrival is worth the extra ground time. We file the GCAA permit either way.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.