Aviation History
Aviation in the territory that became the UAE began with Imperial Airways' use of Sharjah as a refueling stop on Britain-to-India routes starting in 1932, making it the region's first airport. After the UAE's federation in 1971 and Dubai's oil-funded development, Dubai International Airport opened in 1960 (initially with a sand runway) and grew rapidly. Emirates launched in 1985 with government backing and a handful of leased aircraft, transforming into one of the world's largest long-haul carriers, while Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways was founded in 2003 as a second national flag carrier. Both carriers became major Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 operators, and Dubai International became one of the world's busiest airports for international passenger traffic.
Imperial Airways establishes an airfield at Sharjah as a refueling stop on its UK-India-Australia route, becoming the region's first airport.
Dubai's first airport opens with a sand runway, laying the groundwork for what would become Dubai International Airport.
The seven emirates unite to form the United Arab Emirates, setting the stage for coordinated national aviation development.
Emirates operates its first flight from Dubai to Karachi on 25 October, founded with government backing and initially leased aircraft.
Etihad Airways is founded by decree as Abu Dhabi's national carrier, beginning commercial operations in November.
Emirates operates its first Airbus A380 commercial service, from Dubai to New York JFK.
Emirates places a combined order for 150 Boeing 777X and 50 Airbus A380 aircraft worth about $166 billion, among the largest orders in aviation history.
Etihad Airways takes delivery of its first Airbus A380, expanding its long-haul superjumbo fleet.
Emirates · Etihad Airways · flydubai · Air Arabia · Wizz Air Abu Dhabi (formerly Air Arabia Abu Dhabi)
Compiled from public/encyclopedic sources including Wikipedia, The National and Gulf News historical reporting; precise early pre-1960s dates for smaller regional airfields vary slightly between sources.
Aviation Firsts
Al Mahatta / Sharjah Airport — Sharjah (1932): Sharjah became an overnight stop on Imperial Airways' Bahrain–Karachi leg from a June 1932 agreement between the British government and Sharjah's ruler; first westbound flight landed 5 October 1932. Widely cited as the UAE's earliest airport. The original airstrip (Al Mahatta Fort site) is now a museum; Sharjah International Airport (opened 1977) is the operating successor, which carries the modern SHJ code. · SHJ ↗ · Wikipedia ↗
Emirates (1985): Founded 1985, began flights to Karachi and Mumbai. No UAE-founded airline older than Emirates was found. Gulf Air (Bahrain, 1950) predates it but is a Bahrain-founded, multi-government carrier only later joined by Abu Dhabi — not a UAE-founded airline, so it doesn't qualify. · EK ↗ · The National ↗
National Aviation Services (NAS) (Kuwait), 2012: dnata, the dominant UAE handler, is itself UAE-based (Dubai) and therefore does not qualify. A 2012 Routesonline report describes Ras Al Khaimah International Airport awarding a ground-handling contract to NAS, a Kuwait-headquartered handler, calling it "a first of its kind agreement for an airport in the UAE" — though the article never frames it explicitly as the first foreign entrant nationally. No earlier-dated foreign ground handler in the UAE was found (Menzies Aviation, also Kuwaiti-owned, was still only looking to enter the UAE as of 2024), so this is the best-documented candidate. (best-documented candidate found — not source-confirmed as literally first.) · Routesonline ↗