Qualitative achievement by Sharjah Airport
A view of the Sharjah International Airport. File/WAM
The Sharjah Airport has now added another feather to its cap by ranking first in the 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 as high as 91.1 per cent, which is a major achievement both domestically and internationally.
Continuous enhancement of services and amenities and introduction of smart applications have helped. The number of passengers increased by 15.25% as compared to H1 2018.
As Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA) pointed out, the 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.
As a result of attracting new airlines and the expansion of operations by existing airlines, Sharjah Airport recorded a growth of 9.56% in passenger movement with more than 3.156 million passengers during the first quarter of 2019 as compared to 2.880 million passengers in the first quarter of 2018.
January turned out to be the best month in terms of passenger numbers with 1.122 million passengers, while the highest growth rate — 10.59% — was recorded in March, when there were 1.079 million passengers.
The airport is presently 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 capacity to approximately 20 million passengers by 2025 at a total cost of Dhs1.5 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 has 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.
The festive seasons, summer holidays and new destinations have also contributed to the airport’s record growth over the last six months.
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.
The airport authorities have also kept the needs of the community in mind. During the first quarter of this year, Sharjah Airport extended support to the local community with various initiatives and by sponsoring different events. A strong belief in the importance of social responsibility has strengthened the airport’s local, regional and global status.
The airport welcomed travelling families and their children with a “Back to School campaign” that took place from August 28 to 30 at the arrivals hall.
The airport’s achievements reflect Sharjah’s success in positioning itself in terms of tourism and trade. It continues to play a pivotal role in enhancing the Emirate’s image by helping attract an increasing number of visitors and tourists to Sharjah.
