Sharm El Sheikh Airport (SSH): terminals, distances and practical facts
Sharm El Sheikh airport has the IATA code SSH and the ICAO code HESH. It sits north of Naama Bay, towards Nabq, and most hotels are 10 to 30 minutes away by road. There are two terminals next to each other; there is no Terminal 3 in 2026 and expansion plans are unclear. Below you will find the terminals, figures with their source and year, distances to the main areas, notes on money, SIM cards and car rental desks, and a pointer to our guide on getting to your hotel. Facts checked on 15 October 2026. This is an independent guide, not the airport's official website.
IATA and ICAO codes, and where the airport is
The full name is Sharm El Sheikh International Airport. The IATA code printed on your ticket and bag tag is SSH, and the ICAO code used in aviation is HESH. The airport lies north of Naama Bay towards Nabq Bay, so Nabq hotels are the closest and Hadaba, Ras Um Sid and the Old Market the furthest.
Travellers search under many spellings, such as Sharm airport, Sharm el Sheik or Sharm so Sheikh airport. It is the same airport, served by charter and scheduled flights from the UK, Italy, Poland, Russia and other markets.
Terminals and capacity: what is known and what is unclear
According to Wikipedia there are two main passenger terminals. Terminal 1 was inaugurated on 23 May 2007, covers about 43,000 square metres and has 40 check-in counters. The same source says passengers board from remote stands by bus, and that passport control and duty free are in the central building. Terminal 2 is the original terminal, modernised in 2004. The two buildings stand close together.
Capacity figures differ by source and year. Wikipedia gives a rise from 7 to 9 million passengers a year after an expansion finished in November 2019, while Egyptian press (Ahram Online, 27 August 2026, citing Ministry of Civil Aviation data) speaks of a rise from 7 to 10 million. A Terminal 3 has been proposed since 2008, but we found no evidence that one exists in 2026. Reports on expansion conflict: one source describes the plan as shelved, another a phased upgrade with no dates. So we do not announce any new terminal.
To find out which terminal your flight uses, check your ticket or ask your airline. We do not guess which airline uses which terminal.
How many passengers use SSH and who flies there
In 2024 the airport handled 6,837,007 passengers (Wikipedia, citing the Air Transport Data Bulletin). From June to August 2026 it handled 2,001,905, which is 0.6 per cent more than a year earlier (Ahram Online); Hurghada had 2,711,731 in the same months.
Wikipedia's list of destinations shows around 65 airlines flying to Sharm. UK travellers will find easyJet, TUI Airways, Jet2 and British Airways, Italy is served by Neos, Wizz Air, ITA Airways and Air Cairo, and Poland by Enter Air and Wizz Air. Winter is the main charter season, and summer traffic is weaker.
Distance from the airport to Naama Bay, Nabq and the Old Market
These are road estimates from a routing engine on OpenStreetMap data, for free-flowing traffic without queues, speed bumps or checkpoints, so allow extra. Nabq Bay: about 8 km, 10 to 15 minutes. Sharks Bay: about 11 km, around 15 minutes. Montazah: about 13 km, 15 to 20 minutes. Naama Bay: about 11 to 14 km, 15 to 20 minutes. Old Market: about 20 km, 20 to 25 minutes. Hadaba and Ras Um Sid: about 23 to 25 km, 25 to 30 minutes.
Other websites quote slightly different figures because it depends on the exact point used. If your hotel is far from the centre of its area, add a few minutes.
Vodafone, SIM cards, money and ATMs at Sharm airport
Vodafone Egypt’s own store directory lists “Sharm Airport” and “Sharm Elsheikh Airport Terminal 2”, both at International Arrival Hall. We checked the directory on 20 October 2026; the official link is in the sources below. The listing does not establish opening hours or tell us which terminal your flight will use. Check the branch information before relying on a counter after a late arrival.
The operator’s Tourist Line page says tourists can obtain its TourSIM at a Vodafone airport store or another Vodafone retail store. Compare the current package directly with the operator rather than treating an old travel-blog price as a quote. Ask what data, calls, validity and activation are included, test the connection before leaving and keep the receipt. We do not sell Vodafone SIMs or guarantee a counter will be open.
If you plan to call a driver through an app, save your hotel address and pickup instructions before flying. A confirmed private transfer can be arranged before arrival; your provider should confirm the meeting point so that buying a SIM is not the only way to find your ride.
What follows comes from travel guides and SIM vendors' blogs, not an official source, so treat it as a rough picture. According to one guide, ATMs and currency exchange are in the Terminal 1 arrivals hall, rates can be worse than in town and some counters take cash only. Mobile operators sell tourist SIM cards at counters in Egyptian airports; you need your passport and there can be queues in the busy season. Prices in vendor blogs are inconsistent, so we do not quote them. To skip the queue you could buy an eSIM before you fly.
Also remember the visa: the kiosks are before passport control and take cash in US dollars. See our arrival guide and our guide to entry rules and the Sinai visa for details.
Car rental desks and getting to town
According to travel guides, international and local agencies operate at or near the airport, but sources conflict on which have a desk in the arrivals area. Always confirm the pickup point before you fly. Our page on car rental at Sharm El Sheikh Airport (SSH) explains how it works with us.
To reach your hotel you can use a pre-booked private transfer, a taxi with the fare basis clarified before boarding, a ride-hailing app, a hotel shuttle or a rental car. We compare all of them in the guide Airport to hotel: all options. The current lowest price per vehicle is shown on the airport transfer page.