Sharjah Airport marks a 10% increase in travel traffic in Q3

Sharjah Airport has announced its aviation, travel, and cargo performance results for the third quarter of 2024, showing consistent growth across all operations.

The total number of passengers passing through the airport during this period exceeded 4.392 million, marking a 10 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

Sharjah Airport also achieved a 6.7 per cent growth in flight movements, with a total of 27,758 flights operated by 35 airlines.

The airport continued its record growth in cargo handling, reaching 46,284 tonnes, a year-on-year increase of over 32 per cent. Additionally, sea-air cargo operations increased by 7.8 per cent, handling 3,236 tonnes.

Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA), emphasised that Sharjah Airport remains a key contributor to Sharjah’s diverse economic sectors, especially tourism, trade, and business.

The positive growth in travel, aviation, and cargo strengthens the airport’s competitive edge, reinforcing its position as a leading service provider and supporting its goal to become one of the top five regional airports.

Ali Salim Al Midfa noted that the airport’s increasing operational performance aligns with the broad economic growth in Sharjah, affirming it as a premier destination for tourism, investment, residence, and business.

The airport’s ambitious plans for continuous development ensure world-class services, enhancing passengers and airline confidence. This commitment supports a safe, seamless travel experience powered by innovative technologies and sustainable practices.

The SAA is steadily implementing the new airport expansion project, which aims to raise the airport’s capacity to 25 million passengers annually by the end of 2027. This includes upgrading cargo facilities to meet the growing demand in this vital sector, enabling the airport to handle higher volumes of operations and cargo efficiently.

Delivering Exceptional, Streamlined Services

Sharjah Airport Authority is committed to driving growth in passenger numbers, increasing flight traffic, and providing exceptional, streamlined services. Additionally, it is expanding its destination network to further elevate Sharjah Airport’s standing regionally and globally.

Meanwhile Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, the capital’s first low-cost carrier, has announced the launch of its latest route connecting UAE’s capital city, Abu Dhabi to Yekaterinburg in Russia.

Commencing on Dec.27, 2024, the new non-stop service will operate twice weekly, offering passengers convenient access between Zayed International Airport and Koltsovo International Airport.

Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said: “We are delighted to introduce this new route to Yekaterinburg, the second Russian city Air Arabia Abu Dhabi now serves after Moscow. This addition strengthens the capital’s connectivity with key destinations, enhancing travel options for our customers while contributing to the growth of the UAE’s travel and tourism industries. Our commitment remains focused on providing affordable, value-driven air travel, fostering connections between the UAE and Russia, and offering passengers more options to explore new destinations”.

With the addition of Yekaterinburg to its route network, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi currently serves 29 routes directly from the capital Abu Dhabi including Ahmedabad, Alexandria, Almaty, Amman, Baghdad, Bahrain, Baku, Beirut, Cairo, Chittagong, Chennai, Colombo, Dhaka, Faisalabad, Kathmandu, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Kuwait, Moscow, Multan, Muscat, Salalah, Sabiha, Sohag, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Trabzon.

Customers can now book their direct flights between the two cities by visiting Air Arabia’s website, or by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.

Meanwhile the UAE’s aviation sector celebrated the “UAE Civil Aviation Day”, which falls on Oct.5 each year, marking the anniversary of the first plane landing in the UAE, specifically in the Emirate of Sharjah, on the same day in 1932.

The runway for the plane landing was prepared in the Al Qasimia area of Sharjah in 1930, making it the first airport established in the Arabian Gulf region at that time. Over 90 years later, the UAE’s civil aviation sector leads numerous global competitiveness indicators, surpassing many developed nations.

The country boasts six national carriers renowned for luxury, quality, security, and safety. During the first eight months of this year, our national carriers operated 4,807 weekly flights to numerous destinations around the world.

In addition, the UAE has 10 airports, including 8 international airports ranked among the best and busiest in the world. These airports welcomed more than 97.9 million passengers in the first eight months of this year, reflecting a growth rate of 12.6 per cent, compared to 86.9 million passengers during the same period last year.

Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the GCAA, said: “UAE Civil Aviation Day represents an opportunity to celebrate the vision of our wise leadership, which has positioned the UAE at the forefront of the world in the aviation sector.