Sharjah Airport received more than seven million visitors in H1 2023

(Image: Supplied by Sharjah Airport)

Sharjah Airport in the UAE received more than seven million passengers in the first six months of 2023.

It represents a 24.4 per cent growth over the corresponding period in 2022.

Apart from its passenger numbers, the airport also recorded a significant increase in the cargo it handled. The airport handled more than 70,000 tons of cargo, including 6,000 tons of sea-air cargo.

Consequently, overall aircraft activity at the airport increased too. There was a 14 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of flights at the airport over the first six months of this year totalling more than 46,900 flights.

Sharjah Airport adds new destinations

The Sharjah Airport Authority also announced the addition of six passenger flight destinations and three air cargo destinations to meet the growing demand for services from the airport. The new passenger destinations include Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Ufa City and Samara City in Russia, Lar in Iran, Indore in India, and Bangkok in Thailand.

The new air cargo destinations are Houston in the US, Kigali in Rwanda, and Nashik in India.

The authority added that the extension of Sharjah Airport will increase its handling capacity from eight to twenty million passengers per year.

Ali Salim Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority said, “The current achievements signify the efforts of Sharjah Airport Authority to exceed expectations of passengers and enhance their traveling experience as well as elevate Sharjah Airport’s status to become one of the top five regional airports that offer an exceptional travel experience. We are constantly extending Sharjah Airport’s network. We are optimistic that the addition of more destinations will provide us with more travel and logistics opportunities.”

Over the course of 2022, passenger traffic at Sharjah Airport witnessed a growth rate of 84.73 per cent year-on-year to nearly 13 million passengers, almost reaching its pre-pandemic levels of 13.6 million passengers that it recorded in 2019.

This article originally appeared on Business Traveller Middle East

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