Sharjah Airport (SA) has welcomed more than 3.8 million passengers in the first quarter of 2023, recording a 28.01 per cent increase over the same period in 2022, and is expected to achieve even higher growth rates by the year’s end.

The aircraft movement for the same term also increased by 9.02 per cent, with 23,261 flights by the end of March, compared to 21,336 flights during the same period last year.

Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, said, “The upsurge in passenger numbers is a true reflection of our strategic efforts to promote the travel and tourism sectors, and further solidify Sharjah’s position as a global destination. It can also be regarded as a step closer to realising our vision of elevating Sharjah Airport to the top five regional airports and boosting its competitiveness on the global travel landscape.”

“We constantly strive to provide the best services to our customers by implementing cutting-edge smart technologies and solutions that would improve our daily operations and foster connectivity between our tourism destinations. By doing so, we ensure that every passenger passing through the airport has a distinct travel experience. We take this opportunity to reiterate our commitment to advancing passenger and cargo growth, particularly in light of the airport’s expansion efforts, which will increase its capacity to 20 million passengers by 2026,” he added.

There have been continued efforts by Sharjah Airport Authority to increase passenger numbers and aircraft movements.

The Authority has also employed smart and advanced solutions that allow passengers to self-complete their travel procedures through smart travel services, further resulting in a seamless and convenient travel experience.

Sharjah Airport welcomed last month a delegation from the Arab Civil Aviation Organisation (ACAO) that examined various impactful initiatives, practices, and strategies undertaken at the Airport to achieve sustainability.

The parties also exchanged expertise and knowledge in the field of sustainability, highlighting the airport’s commitment to social responsibility, which has been reflected in the extensive adoption of sustainable practices throughout its operations.

The delegation featured various sustainability experts from the UAE and other Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, and Libya, who gave insights into how vital sustainability is to the future of any business.

Over 17,500 licenses in Q1: In the first quarter of 2023, the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) issued and renewed a total of 17,555 licenses (1,979 issued licenses and 15,576 renewed licenses) through various channels, including smart applications, electronic portals, service centers, and branches across different areas in Sharjah. This represents a 3% increase compared to the same period in 2022.

Sultan Abdullah Bin Hadda Al Suwaidi, Chairman of SEDD, explained that the data is one of the most important economic indicators that SEDD relies on to review the economic situation in Sharjah.

He stressed that the strategic goal of the department is to achieve a comprehensive plan that promotes economic development.

He added that the latest data issued by the department indicate a noticeable increase in investments towards existing projects, which reflects Sharjah sustainable economic growth, and such figures reflect businesses confidence in the investment opportunities available in Sharjah, whereas Sharjah business results including business licences’ issuance and renewal are in line with the recent GDP growth in Sharjah.