Sharjah International Airport saw a record number of passengers in 2018 as it embarks on a major expansion project to increase capacity to 20 million passengers by 2025.
The airport was used by 12.04 million passengers last year, up by 6 percent on the previous year while the number of scheduled and unscheduled flights also increased by 4.7 percent in 2018.
The highest number of passengers handled (1.2 million) was recorded in August, and the airport recorded the highest growth rate (13.3 percent) in June.
Ali Salim Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, said, “Sharjah Airport’s excellent results in 2018 in terms of the growth in the number of passengers, flights and freight reflects the airport’s outstanding status, which is rising steadily.”
Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, has reviewed and approved the designs for the expansion of Sharjah Airport.
The exterior will be shaped like the wing of a plane ending in a structure shaped like a book, inspired by the fact that Sharjah is the cultural capital.
The project will include two departure halls and two passport control areas to maintain the flow of passengers through the airport. A new VIP lounge with a separate entrance and exit will serve businesspeople in the UAE.
It is expected that the support services buildings will be completed in the first quarter of 2020, while the project will be finished in the third quarter of 2022.
Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA) has implemented a comprehensive airport expansion plan at a cost of AED1.5 billion. Parsons International was appointed to manage the development project while three other agreements worth AED100 million have also been signed.
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