SHARJAH: Engineer Ali Bin Shaheen Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Directorate of Public Works (DPW), and Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA), inaugurated the new entrance to Sharjah Airport. The inauguration occurred in the presence of Sheikh Khalid Bin Issam Al Qassimi, Chairman of Department of Civil Aviation in Sharjah; Sheikh Faisal Bin Sauod Al Qassimi, Director of Sharjah Airport Authority; and Project Consultant Jacobs and the contractor Sharjah General Contracting Company, based on the directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. The new bridge was constructed at a cost of Dhs85 million.

The Directorate of Public Works (DPW), completed a new road network for Sharjah Airport with a length of 1200 metres, including a suspended bridge that extends more than 330 metres constructed, providing direct access to Sharjah Airport for passengers travelling from Sharjah and other emirates. The project is part of a series of development projects approved by SAA designed to improve operational processes, increase capacity, and upgrade services that reflect Sharjah Airport as an important gateway to the world, It will also help accommodate the rapid growth of passengers at Sharjah Airport.

Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, said, “The project of developing the new entrance to Sharjah Airport comes within the framework of the comprehensive plan set by SAA under the directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and the close attention of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Executive Council, in order to accommodate the expected growth in the number of passengers travelling through the airport in coming years. The comprehensive plan includes the construction of the bridge and the development of an alternative road, which is approximately 2.1 kilometres long, along two tracks that will run into four routes, which will contribute to the upgrading of roads leading to the airport and includes construction of more than 1,000 additional parking spaces that will accommodate passengers and airport staff vehicles, in addition to a rainwater drainage network in the parking area and the area near the airport.”

He added, “The development process at Sharjah Airport and the surrounding roads is a continuous process that keeps pace with the growth witnessed by the airport, annually, both in the number of passengers and in the movement of cargo. The airport has benefited from the prestigious position of the Emirate of Sharjah and its geographical location as a link between the East and the West in strengthening its position on the world travel and shipping map, which is reflected by the figures and growth rates achieved by the airport annually.”