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Air Arabia (G9) Guide

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Planning a trip on Air Arabia? Here are its Sharjah routes, fleet, cabins, luggage rules and check-in steps, with ideas for a lower fare. Ask a question
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In short

Air Arabia is a low-cost airline based at Sharjah International in the United Arab Emirates, with group bases in Morocco, Egypt and Abu Dhabi. Its all-Airbus fleet reaches 120+ airports in the Middle East, South Asia, North Africa, Central Asia and Europe. It suits short and medium trips on a budget. There is no alliance, points collect in AirRewards, and basic fares charge for checked bags.

Air Arabia is an Emirati low-cost airline based in Sharjah, launched in 2003. Together with its sister airlines in Morocco, Egypt and Abu Dhabi, it serves more than 120 airports across the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and Europe.

Please note: bookingMentor is an independent travel service and is not affiliated with Air Arabia. Routes, schedules, fleet and baggage rules change, so always confirm the details of your booking with the airline.

What to expect

Air Arabia (IATA: G9, ICAO: ABY) is a low-cost airline headquartered at Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. It flies an all-Airbus A320-family fleet from Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, and it suits budget travellers moving between the Gulf and the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Europe.

The first Middle Eastern budget airline

The ruler of Sharjah set up Air Arabia by Amiri decree on 3 February 2003, and the first flight took off on 28 October 2003. The airline broke even in its first year, an unusual result for a start-up carrier. Its parent company, Air Arabia PJSC, trades on the Dubai Financial Market under the ticker AIRARABIA. Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani chairs the board and Adel Ali is group chief executive.

A group of airlines

Air Arabia operates as a group, and the airline flying your ticket can be one of several sister companies. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi flies from Abu Dhabi, Air Arabia Egypt from Alexandria and Air Arabia Maroc from Casablanca and other Moroccan cities. Fly Jinnah is the group's Pakistani airline. A Saudi consortium airline in which the group is involved began flying on 2 October 2026. The UAE mainline airline alone carried 13.1 million passengers in 2025, and the group as a whole reports revenue of AED 7.8 billion and profit of AED 1.6 billion for that year.

Sharjah is not Dubai

Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) is a separate airport in the neighbouring emirate. Travellers staying in Dubai need to plan road transport and allow for evening traffic on the roads between the two emirates. Air Arabia flights do not use Dubai International.

Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change

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Good to know

  • Founded2003
  • Other gatewaysAUH / RKT / CMN / HBE

Everything you should know

Airline codes

G9 · ABY

IATA · ICAO · callsign “ARABIA”

Every Air Arabia flight number begins with G9. Flight-tracking sites and air traffic control use the ICAO code ABY, and the radio callsign is ARABIA.

Key facts

Main hub

Sharjah (SHJ)

Sharjah International

Also flies abroad fromAbu Dhabi (AUH) · Ras Al Khaimah (RKT) · Casablanca (CMN) · Alexandria (HBE)

Network

120+ airports

Middle East · South Asia · North Africa · Central Asia · Europe

Air Arabia flies mainly from Sharjah, with group bases in Morocco, Egypt, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, serving the Gulf, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Central Asia, North Africa and Europe.

Destinations

Cabin classes

Economy

Economy on an all-Airbus A320-family fleet, with seats, meals and bags as paid extras. The base fare covers a seat. Meals are not free, and you can buy them in advance online or from the cart on board. No alcohol is served on Air Arabia flights. Seat selection and checked bags are sold as extras or as part of fare bundles. The cabin allowance is one bag of up to 7 kg plus a personal item of up to 3 kg.

About the cabin

Good to know

Air Arabia’s group includes Air Arabia Maroc, Air Arabia Egypt and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. Its loyalty programme is AirRewards, and its official website is airarabia.com.

Frequent flyer

AirRewards

No global alliance

Air Arabia stays outside the three global alliances. Points from its flights go into AirRewards.

How it works

Start a new search

Before you book Air Arabia, run the same dates through bookingMentor: rival airlines on routes from SHJ appear in one set of results.

Bon voyage on your next Air Arabia flight.

Select dates

At a glance

Air Arabia (IATA: G9, ICAO: ABY) is a low-cost airline based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Founded in 2003, it flies an all-Airbus A320 and A321 fleet from Sharjah and group bases in Morocco, Egypt and Abu Dhabi to more than 120 airports in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe.

Key facts about Air Arabia
HeadquartersSharjah International Airport, United Arab Emirates
Fleet typesAirbus A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo and A321LR
Frequent flyerAirRewards
Official websiteairarabia.com

Flight routes

Destinations and routes

Direct routes
These are the cities on Air Arabia’s published route map. Timetables change through the year, so check the Air Arabia schedule before you plan around a route. Search flights

Gulf & Middle East

Sharjah (SHJ) departures11 destinations

Check all

Fleet and aircraft

Every aircraft is from the Airbus A320 family. The group fleet stands at about 85 aircraft, made up of A320-200s, A320neos, A321-200s, A321neos and long-range A321LRs. Large orders are in place for 71 more A320neos, 21 A321neos and 20 A321XLRs. The XLR's range will let the group fly narrow-body jets on longer routes from Sharjah. Card figures are as of March 2025, from published fleet records.

  • Airbus A320-200 Narrow-body Most routes across the group
    168 seats (All economy)
  • Airbus A320neo Narrow-body · 7 in service Regional routes
  • Airbus A321neo Narrow-body · 6 in service Busier routes
    215 seats (All economy)
  • Airbus A321LR Narrow-body · 6 in service Longer routes
  • Airbus A321-200 Narrow-body · 3 in service Busier routes

Seat counts from the airline's own fleet information. Airlines can swap aircraft at short notice; your booking shows the aircraft for your flight.

Cabin classes

Everyone on Air Arabia flies in one cabin: Economy.

Economy All flights

Low-cost economy

Economy with optional extras such as seats, meals and bags.

Paid seatsPaid meals

AirRewards

AirRewards is Air Arabia’s frequent flyer scheme, and you can sign up on airarabia.com.

AirRewards members earn points on Air Arabia flights and can use them towards future bookings.

The loyalty programme is called AirRewards. Members collect points on Air Arabia flights and use them toward future fares and extras. Air Arabia is not part of a global alliance.

Baggage allowance

Check your e-ticket for the exact Air Arabia allowance. It is set by the fare type, the cabin and the route, whether you start at SHJ or another airport.

Checked baggage
Paid extra on basic fares
Cabin baggage
Set by your fare
Extra bags
Add online before you fly
Power banks
Cabin bag only

Air Arabia allows one cabin bag of up to 7 kg (55 x 40 x 20 cm) and one personal item of up to 3 kg (25 x 33 x 20 cm), with a combined 10 kg limit that also covers duty-free shopping. Checked baggage depends on the fare or bundle you buy, and sister airlines such as Air Arabia Maroc or Fly Jinnah apply their own rules.

Pro tip: a parent travelling with a child under two may bring one extra small bag of up to 3 kg.
Travel day

Online Check-in

The four steps below take you from your Air Arabia booking to the gate, whether you depart from SHJ or another airport on its network.

  1. Step 1

    Check in online

    Use airarabia.com or app to check in for eligible flights. Have your Air Arabia booking reference or e-ticket number and your surname ready.

    Booking ref + surname
  2. Step 2

    Prepare your documents

    Pack your passport plus any visa, residence permit or entry papers your destination asks for. Domestic G9 passengers should bring a photo ID the airline accepts.

    Passport · visa · ID
  3. Step 3

    Arrive early

    Each airport has its own Air Arabia check-in and bag-drop deadline, listed in your booking. Allow extra time for busy terminals and international G9 departures.

    Check your deadline
  4. Step 4

    Drop your bags

    Hand in checked luggage at the Air Arabia counter or bag drop, then keep your boarding pass and passport ready for security and the gate.

    Air Arabia counter
Ready to check in? Check in and manage your booking on the official Air Arabia website.
Check in with Air Arabia
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Cheap tickets

How to find a cheaper Air Arabia fare without giving up the bag or seat you need.

  1. 01

    Look across the week

    Air Arabia fares are often lower on midweek departures. Search a spread of dates around your trip to find the cheaper days.

    Midweek flights
  2. 02

    Avoid peak holiday dates

    Fares rise around Eid, the summer school break and the Hajj and Umrah seasons. Book early or travel off-peak.

    School holidays · festivals
  3. 03

    Compare Air Arabia fare types

    An Air Arabia fare that includes a checked bag, seat choice or cheaper changes can cost less overall than adding those extras later.

    Baggage & changes
  4. 04

    Check which Air Arabia you fly

    Air Arabia group airlines fly from several bases. Check which airport your flight uses, especially between Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

    Sharjah · Abu Dhabi · Casablanca
  5. 05

    Join AirRewards

    Membership of AirRewards lets your Air Arabia trips count towards rewards, and members hear about offers first.

    Before you fly

  6. Ready to compare fares?

    Search Air Arabia alongside every other airline on your route, with flexible dates.

    Search Air Arabia flights

Reviews and questions

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Everything travellers ask before flying Air Arabia.
Answers checked against Air Arabia’s official website and published airline records. Reviewed 10 October 2026.

Prices & payment

Yes. Air Arabia is a low-cost carrier founded in 2003 and is described as the first low-fare airline in the Middle East. Food and many extras are paid for, so check what your fare includes before you book.

General