The Sharjah Airport Authority has said that the number of passengers passing through Sharjah airport in 2023 reached 15.3 million.
This figure is a 17.4 per cent increase over its 2022 numbers of 13.1 million passengers.
Subsequently, there was a 12.5 per cent growth in overall air traffic with over 98,000 flight movements in 2023, compared to around 87,000 in 2022.
The total cargo volumes handled through Sharjah airport in 2023 reached more than 141,000 tonnes.
The operational capacity of the airport grew last year with the addition of seven new passenger destinations including Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Kazan and Samara cities in Russia, Lar in Iran, Indore in India, Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand. It also added three new destinations for air cargo including Houston in the US, Kigali in Rwanda and Nashik in India.
Sharjah airport is linked to more than 100 destinations through 33 international airlines in 62 countries.
India was the most popular destinations for travellers using the airport last year, with over 3.4 million passengers heading to India from the airport. Saudi Arabia came in second, followed by Pakistan with 1.5 million and 1.2 million passengers, respectively.
The three most preferred cities in 2023 for travellers from Sharjah included Doha with a total of over 723,000 passengers, marking a growth of over 95 per cent compared to the previous year. It was followed by Dhaka with a total of more than 633,000 passengers and Cairo with about 488,000 passengers.
The Sharjah Airport Authority also confirmed that it is proceeding with its expansion project which is expected to be completed by 2027.
In early Jan 2024, the cornerstone of the New Passenger Terminal Expansion Project was laid at Sharjah airport, the largest package of a series of expansion projects with a total cost of Dhs2.4 billion. The terminal expansion is anticipated to increase the airport’s capacity to 20 million passengers, separate arrivals from departures and raise the number of self-check-in and self-travel devices. Furthermore, it will establish new roads and entrances, parking lots and other development operations.
Ali Salim Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, said, “We will continue our expansion and development efforts in line with our aim to enhance the infrastructure and services provided, especially in the realm of self-travel to meet the expectations of the airline community, keeping our focus on offering distinctive travel experience for all passengers while expanding the airport’s network and connectivity.”