Aviation Museums › Commercial Aviation Heritage
Al Mahatta Museum occupies the site of the first airport in the Gulf region, which opened in Sharjah in 1932 as an Imperial Airways refuelling stop on the London-to-India air route. The former airport buildings, including its control tower, were converted into a museum.
Notable Exhibits
- de Havilland Comet (1953) — Early commercial jet airliner on display in the museum hangar.
- Vickers VC10 (1962) — Jet airliner exhibited alongside the museum's other historic aircraft.
- Imperial Airways display section — Original cockpit and cabin fittings from the Imperial Airways era.
The first aircraft to land at Sharjah, an Imperial Airways Handley Page biplane named 'Hanno', touched down on 5 October 1932, marking the country's first flight.
Verified 2026-09-18 · Al Mahatta Museum, Look: First plane to land in Sharjah, tracing UAE's aviation history from Al Mahatta, Al Mahatta Museum. Art Destination Sharjah