An apparatus for carrying or guiding a printing material sheet on an air cushion between a nozzle surface and the printing material sheet. The apparatus has first nozzle pairs which are arranged in a first row and second nozzle pairs which are arranged in a second row for generating the air cushion. The first nozzle pairs and the second nozzle pairs in each case have a blower nozzle and a suction nozzle, which are paired in such a way that one and the same air flow is blown out by the respective blower nozzle and is aspirated, at least predominantly, by the suction nozzle that is paired with the blower nozzle. The suction nozzles of the first nozzle pairs are arranged in such a way between the blower nozzles of the second nozzle pairs and the suction nozzles of the second nozzle pairs such that the air flows of the second nozzle pairs flow past the suction nozzles of the first nozzle pairs.