The fact that the airport recorded a new high number of passengers handled in 2018 sends positive signals about the progress path. The airport’s passenger numbers reached as much as 12.04 million in 2018 compared with 11.36 million in 2017. The year-on-year growth was 6 per cent. The number of scheduled and unscheduled flights increased by 4.68 per cent in 2018. The airfreight traffic through the airport as well as the sea-air freight witnessed remarkable increase.
Sharjah Airport’s success is certainly the result of the directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah and the continuous enhancement of various amenities, including the installation of Smart Gates.

The main drivers of the growth include multiple new destinations and additional flights offered by airlines operating at the airport.
Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority Ali Salim Al Midfa’s own words well highlight the secret behind the accomplishments: “Sharjah Airport’s excellent results in 2018 in terms of the growth in the number of passengers, flights and freight reflect the airport’s outstanding status, which is rising steadily based on programmes and plans designed to ensure that the airport keeps up with the Emirate of Sharjah’s developments in different areas in line with the aspirations of our wise leadership and the expectations of passengers and customers.”

The airport’s development plans include several phases and a number of projects, such as the expansion of the passengers’ building in order to increase capacity to 20 million passengers by 2025, the development of roads around the airport, the addition of 15 aircraft stands and the construction of new service buildings and other facilities.

Sharjah Airport uses advanced systems for luggage and baggage transfer. The SITA BagManager application matches bags with departing passengers and tracks the bags through the airport in real time.

Sheikh Faisal Bin Saud Al Qassimi, Director of Sharjah Airport Authority, has also made it clear that the airport would continue to develop and grow, upgrading its services and implementing ongoing plans for development.

The airport’s positive results indubitably reflect Sharjah’s success in positioning itself in terms of tourism and trade. The airport for sure plays a pivotal role in enhancing the Emirate’s image by helping attract an increasing number of visitors and tourists to Sharjah.