Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Al Ain International Airport lies in the desert of the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate, some 8 nautical miles west-northwest of Al Ain city, and is the emirate's second international airport. It is a major flying training hub, hosting several civil and military academies alongside a modest schedule of international services, and it offers a single long, ILS-equipped runway for visiting VFR and IFR traffic alike.
Al Ain International Airport, operated by Abu Dhabi Airports Company, serves the city of Al Ain in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Opened on 31 March 1994, it functions today as Abu Dhabi's second international airport, combining a limited schedule of airline services with an intensive programme of civil and military flying training. For a simulator pilot it is notable chiefly for the sheer volume of training traffic it handles on a single runway, making it an interesting and busy destination despite its modest size.
The airport sits about 8 nautical miles (15 km) west-northwest of Al Ain city, in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It shares the emirate's airspace structure with Abu Dhabi International Airport and lies within controlled airspace associated with UAE air navigation services.
Al Ain has a single physical runway, 01/19, of hard surface construction measuring 13,155 feet in length. Both directions are lit, and an instrument landing system is provided on runway 01, giving pilots a precision approach aid for that direction.
Radio communications at Al Ain are provided on Approach (APP) 119.85 MHz, Ground (GND) 129.15 MHz and Tower (TWR) 119.85 MHz. Runway 01 is equipped with an ILS for instrument approaches.
Aircraft movements at Al Ain are frequently in excess of 600 per day, all funnelled onto the single runway, and flying training normally takes place during daylight hours only. Pilots planning a visit should expect a busy, disciplined circuit environment given the concentration of training aircraft.
Al Ain International Airport opened on 31 March 1994 and has operated since as Abu Dhabi's second international gateway. On 27 February 2011 a Grumman 21T eight-seat aircraft, registration N221AG, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all four occupants. In 2025 Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler's representative in Al Ain, received a delegation from Abu Dhabi Airports and was briefed on a five-year development plan intended to upgrade the airport's infrastructure and main facilities to boost air travel and tourism in Al Ain.
The airport now hosts a mix of scheduled airline services, including routes to Kozhikode, Khost, seasonal Jeddah, Kuwait City, Cairo and Islamabad, alongside a substantial civil and military flying training presence. Resident training organisations include the Khalifa Bin Zayed Flying Academy, Etihad Flight College and Horizon Flight Training Academy, and the field also serves as the location for the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park, a long-term aerospace development and employment initiative. Given the high daily movement rate concentrated on a single runway, prior permission is required for visiting flights.