SHARJAH: Sharjah Airport continued to record excellent growth rates during the first half of this year, building on the success of recent years. The number of passengers travelling through the Airport rose to 6.605 million in the first half of 2019, an increase of 15.25% compared to 5.731 million passengers in the first half of 2018.
The Airport had 1.114 million passengers in June, a growth rate of 17.6% compared to 947.2 thousand passengers in June 2018, positioning Sharjah Airport among leading airports in the region in terms of the number of passengers.
Between January and June this year, there were 41.7 thousand air traffic movements with 40.77 thousand scheduled flights and 908 unscheduled flights, a growth rate of 7.47% as compared to 38,800 flights in the same period last year.
In terms of freight, air cargo volume rose to 78.78 thousand tons, 10.35 thousand tons of which were handled in June, while sea-air freight volume reached 7.93 thousand tons between January and the end of June this year.
The Airport’s success during the first half of this year was a result of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council,of the excellent services provided by Sharjah Airport, which has helped to attract an increasing number of airlines. During the first half of this year, a Turkish airline began operating flights between Istanbul Airport and Sharjah Airport, with a daily flight starting from April. The Airport also received Nigeria’s Air Peace recently; the airline adopted Sharjah Airport as its first international hub outside Africa.
The festive seasons, summer holidays and new destinations have contributed to Sharjah Airport’s record growth over the last six months.
HE Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, said, “Sharjah Airport’s positive results in terms of the number of passengers during the first half of this year are a result of the efforts of all the organisations operating at the Airport. These genuine partnerships help to position the Airport as one of the region’s best airports both regionally and globally thanks to its fast and efficient procedures and unique location. The Airport has also won the confidence of the many international and regional airlines that have adopted it as the hub for their operations in the region.”
His Excellency added, “The Emirate of Sharjah has succeeded in strengthening its position on the map of regional and global tourism and trade. Sharjah Airport plays a pivotal role in enhancing the Emirate’s leading image by continuously upgrading the quality of the services that it provides to passengers and customers to make their journey through the airport a unique experience.”
HE Sheikh Faisal bin Saoud Al Qassimi, Director of Sharjah Airport Authority, commented, “Our commitment to providing the best services and facilities to all airlines and air freight companies at Sharjah Airport is reflected in the increasing demand from new airlines that want to take advantage of our facilities for the aviation sector. This has contributed to the growth in the number of passengers and in air cargo through the Airport, which has become one of the best options in the region for people travelling to and from the UAE.”
He thanked the Airport’s customers, passengers, airlines, travel and tourism agents, freight forwarders, tour operators and airport support companies for their trust in Sharjah Airport and for using its services and facilities.
During the first half of this year, Sharjah Airport was keen to support community events through various initiatives and to sponsor a range of events and activities in line with a deep-seated belief in the importance of social responsibility. BIZ TODAY REPORT
