Sharjah Airport has marked another achievement by ranking first in Mena region and fourth internationally in terms of ‘on time performance’ and punctuality according to OAG, the world’s provider of airport and airline information. During the first half (H1) 2019, the accuracy in flight departure times from Sharjah Airport was 91.1 per cent, which is an achievement both domestically and internationally.

This achievement is in line with Sharjah Airport Authority’s (SAA) strategy to enhance the Airport’s competitiveness regionally and globally as well as to improve the passenger experience, especially in light of the high growth rates in air movement and number of passengers and flights. The number of passengers increased by 15.25% as compared to H1 2018.

Due to the high number of passengers during Hajj season, Eid Al Adha and the end of the summer holidays, the number of passengers in August 2019 grew by 9% as compared to August 2018; reflecting the Airport’s ability to continue to perform positively and to move forward with further achievements and progress in all areas.

 Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA), stated that this international ranking achievement in terms of punctuality is a result of Sharjah Airport’s exceptional procedures in cooperation with its partners, the use of smart technology and services to increase the flow through the Airport even during peak times, and increasing efforts to innovate and achieve excellence in line with Sharjah’s leadership to enhance competitiveness in all fields. SAA is keen to continue to develop services, expedite procedures and delight customers and passengers.

Al Midfa said that he appreciated the joint efforts of all Airport sectors, pointing out that Sharjah Airport is distinguished by the accuracy of internal procedures in these sectors – a key element for the successful operation of any airport, as well as the implementation of an effective strategy to develop the infrastructure and services provided based on a timeline that includes many projects designed to enhance the passenger experience. He stated that the Airport looks forward to maintaining this achievement and increasing the punctuality of flight departure times to maintain its leading role among the airports in the region and worldwide.

Sharjah Airport is undergoing an expansion  to keep pace with the growing demand for travel. Sharjah Airport has approved a new expansion project, which aims to increase the Airport’s capacity to approximately 20 million passengers by 2025 at a total cost of Dhs 1.5 billion. Upon completion, the project will be an important addition to the Airport and to the aviation sector in Sharjah and the UAE in general. The Airport also launched a number of smart services, the most important of which are the Smart Gates that allow passport control procedures to be completed more quickly, reducing the amount of time spent standing while passports are checked and stamped.

Meanwhile, 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.

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.

Agencies