--- iata: SSH name: Sharm El Sheikh International Airport city: Sharm El Sheikh country: Egypt lastUpdated: '2026-09-06' officialWebsite: 'https://sharmelsheikh-airport.com/en/' sources: - 'https://sharmelsheikh-airport.com/en/' - 'https://sharmelsheikh-airport.com/en/terminals/' - 'https://sharmelsheikh-airport.com/en/taxis/' - 'https://sharmelsheikh-airport.com/en/parking/' - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/egypt/sharm-el-sheikh-international - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/egypt/sharm-el-sheikh-international/ssh-pearl-lounge - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/egypt/sharm-el-sheikh-international/ssh2-pearl-lounge - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharm_El_Sheikh_International_Airport' - 'https://ourairports.com/airports/HESH/' quickFacts: - >- Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (IATA SSH / ICAO HESH) is Egypt’s main South Sinai / Red Sea leisure gateway, about 10–18 km from Naama Bay and other resort strips depending on the hotel corridor. Operator is the Egyptian Airports Company / EHCAAN system; the commonly published passenger info portal is sharmelsheikh-airport.com. - >- Two passenger terminals: Terminal 1 (opened 23 May 2007; design capacity cited around 5 million passengers/year; two domestic + six international gates to remote stands) and Terminal 2 (original building, modernised 2004; later expansion works raised published airport capacity toward ~9 million). Charter and scheduled leisure traffic from Europe, Russia, and the Middle East dominates — confirm your terminal on the boarding pass / FIDS, not muscle memory. - >- Public traffic compilations citing FRACS’ April 2025 air-transport bulletin put SSH at **6,837,007** passengers in **2024**. Treat that as the best cited public annual figure available for this write-up; Egypt does not publish a simple SSH-only dashboard for travelers. - >- Airfield (OurAirports / published runway data): parallel asphalt runways **04L/22R** and **04R/22L**, each about **3,081 × 45 m**; field elevation about **143 ft / 44 m**. Dual runways help when one is occupied, but weather, VIP movements, and peak charter banks still create holding and gate delays. - >- Priority Pass currently lists two **Pearl Lounge** products: Terminal 1 (airside after passport control / X-ray — escalator down one level then lift to 2nd floor; international T1 flights only; 00:00–23:59; max 3 h) and Terminal 2 (airside after security and passport control, ground floor opposite Gate 10; international T2 flights only; 00:00–23:59; max 3 h). Aggregate Priority Pass traveler ratings sit in the mid-2s / 5 — useful as a quiet seat and drinks stop, not a premium culinary experience. - >- Ground transport is taxi / pre-booked hotel transfer / rental car first — there is **no** rail link. Agree taxi fares in Egyptian pounds before the boot closes; Careem/Uber-style apps are used in Sharm when coverage and pickup rules allow. Short-term curb parking is published with a free first half-hour then incremental EGP fees (confirm live boards). bentoTips: - label: Timing title: Summer and holiday charter banks are the real capacity test detail: >- SSH is a leisure airport: morning arrivals from Europe and late-evening returns stack immigration, baggage, and outbound security harder than the floor plan suggests. Build about 3 hours for busy international departures in peak winter-sun and summer weeks; 2–2.5 hours can work on quieter midweek shoulder days. UK leisure traffic resumed after the post-2015 flight restrictions were lifted in October 2019 — volumes are back, and so are the queues. summary: >- Peak charter banks: plan ~3 hours curb-to-gate; quieter shoulder days can work closer to 2–2.5 hours. category: timing - label: Terminal title: Confirm T1 vs T2 before you drop bags detail: >- Terminal 1 (2007) is the larger modern hall most long-haul leisure guests meet first; Terminal 2 is the older building that still handles a share of international and domestic movements after expansion. Pearl Lounge access is terminal-specific — a T2 boarding pass will not help you into the T1 Pearl Lounge and vice versa. Follow FIDS and your carrier’s check-in island signs; do not assume “international = Terminal 1” for every airline. summary: >- Two terminals, terminal-specific lounges — trust the boarding pass, not a 2018 blog map. category: terminal - label: Food title: Eat early after security — banks empty the good seats detail: >- Airside cafés and quick-service counters (traveler guides commonly note names such as Burger King landside in Terminal 2, plus airside café / bakery-style options) cover the basics. Prices run above town. If you have Pearl Lounge access, use it for soft drinks and light snacks; otherwise grab food soon after screening before a charter wave sits down on every chair near your gate. summary: >- Basic café / QSR coverage; lounge snacks help if your card opens Pearl — eat before the gate call in peak banks. category: food - label: Status title: Pearl Lounge is Priority Pass — ratings are middling detail: >- Priority Pass lists Pearl Lounge in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, both 00:00–23:59 with a 3-hour max stay and free entry for children under 2 on current PP conditions. Digital cards are accepted on the T2 listing; facilities include Wi-Fi, soft/hot drinks, snacks, flight information, and a smoking cabin. Published Priority Pass aggregate scores are roughly mid-2s out of 5 across hundreds of reviews — worth it for AC and a chair, not for gourmet expectations. Walk-up / paid entry is sometimes sold by airport service desks; confirm the day’s USD/EGP price before paying. summary: >- PP Pearl exists in both terminals (3 h max) — useful escape, modest food, check live app eligibility. category: status lounges: - name: Pearl Lounge (Terminal 1) zone: >- Airside after passport control and X-ray — escalator down one level, then lift to the 2nd floor (Priority Pass). International Terminal 1 flights only. hours: '00:00–23:59 daily (Priority Pass; max stay 3 hours)' access: - Priority Pass / LoungeKey when contracted - >- Paid walk-up / meet-and-assist packages when sold by airport service desks (confirm live price) bestFor: - Priority Pass holders departing Terminal 1 internationally - Escaping landside heat and coach-group noise after passport control summary: >- Terminal 1 Pearl Lounge after passport control / X-ray (down one level, then lift to floor 2). Priority Pass lists 24-hour opening, a 3-hour max stay, children under 2 free, a children’s play area, and a separate smoking room. Aggregate PP traveler scores are middling — treat it as a cool seat, Wi-Fi, and soft-drink stop rather than a destination restaurant. Wrong-terminal boarding passes are turned away. verdict: depends terminal: Terminal 1 amenities: - Soft drinks and light snacks - Hot drinks - Wi-Fi - Flight information - Children’s play area - Smoking room - Air conditioning - name: Pearl Lounge (Terminal 2) zone: >- Airside after security and passport control — ground floor opposite Gate 10 (Priority Pass). International Terminal 2 flights only. hours: '00:00–23:59 daily (Priority Pass; max stay 3 hours)' access: - Priority Pass / LoungeKey when contracted - Paid walk-up when offered airside (confirm live price) bestFor: - Priority Pass holders departing Terminal 2 internationally - Gate-10-area waits when the departure hall is standing-room only summary: >- Terminal 2 Pearl Lounge after final security / passport control on the ground floor opposite Gate 10. Priority Pass lists 00:00–23:59, 3-hour max stay, unlimited guests per cardholder on current T2 conditions, children under 2 free, digital card acceptance, disabled access, Wi-Fi, snacks, soft/hot drinks, flight information, children’s play area, and an indoor smoking cabin. Same middling review pattern as T1 — worth it for quiet and AC when the hall is packed; skip if you only have a short gate walk and no lounge entitlement. verdict: depends terminal: Terminal 2 amenities: - Soft drinks and light snacks - Hot drinks - Alcoholic drinks (when stocked per PP facilities list) - Wi-Fi - Flight information - Digital card acceptance - Disabled access - Children’s play area - Smoking cabin - Air conditioning waterOptions: - kind: purchase name: Landside retail bottled water zone: landside price: Typically EGP 20–40 for a small bottle depending on shop (confirm at till) summary: >- Convenience kiosks and café counters before security sell sealed bottles. Buy here if you want water during the check-in / immigration queue; carry an empty bottle if you prefer to refill after screening where taps allow. location: >- Convenience kiosks and café counters in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 public departures halls near check-in islands terminal: Terminal 1 / Terminal 2 landside isBestValue: true - kind: purchase name: Airside café and duty-free bottled water zone: airside price: Higher than landside — often roughly EGP 30–60+ for a small bottle summary: >- After security / passport control, cafés and retail sell chilled sealed water at a markup. Fine for one bottle before a long charter sector; bad value if you can buy landside first. location: >- Airside café counters and duty-free / retail aisles after passport control in the departure halls terminal: Terminal 1 / Terminal 2 airside - kind: free name: Pearl Lounge drinks (cardholders only) zone: airside summary: >- Soft drinks and water inside Pearl Lounge when your Priority Pass or paid entry is accepted — not a public fountain programme. Max stay still applies. location: >- Pearl Lounge Terminal 1 (floor 2 after passport control) or Terminal 2 (ground floor opposite Gate 10) terminal: Matching departure terminal isBestQuality: true airportistScore: 6.1 slug: ssh region: Africa --- > Markdown for [/airports/ssh](/airports/ssh). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/ssh) - [Lounge directory](/airports/ssh/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH) Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt · Africa Red Sea leisure gateway with two terminals, Priority Pass Pearl Lounges in both halls, and taxi-or-transfer ground transport — functional for charter banks, middling lounge scores, and no rail link. ## Airportist Score **6.1 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 6.8 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 6.0 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 5.8 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 5.8 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 6.0 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 5.9 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 6.84 million (2024, FRACS via public compilations) - Terminals: Terminal 1 (2007 main hall) + Terminal 2 (original / expanded) - Typical security: 25 min - On-time: 76% - Disruption: minor ## Best for - European and Middle Eastern leisure arrivals into resort transfers - Priority Pass holders who want AC and drinks after passport control - Travelers who pre-book hotel transfers instead of curb bargaining - Short Red Sea city-pairs on EgyptAir / Air Cairo style domestic legs ## Watch out for - Peak charter immigration and outbound passport queues - Wrong terminal for Pearl Lounge (T1 and T2 are separate airside products) - Unmetered taxi opens in hard currency — agree EGP before loading bags - Assuming a public drinking-fountain programme or rail link that does not exist ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/ssh/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/ssh/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/ssh/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/ssh/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/ssh/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/ssh/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/ssh/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/ssh/reviews.md)