Sharjah airport welcomes 5.5 million passengers in H1

A total of 5.5 million passengers passed through Sharjah International Airport (SIA) during the first half of 2017, with an increase of 2.9% as compared to the 5.3 million passengers recorded during the first half of 2016.

SIA handled 835,800 passengers in June 2017, a 1.7% growth as compared to the 821,230 passengers that passed through the airport during the same month last year.

The aircraft movement increased to more than 37,300 movements from January to June 2017, a 3.8% increase compared to the 36,000 movements during the corresponding period last year. The airport registered 6,115 aircraft movements, including 94 unscheduled ones, during June 2017.

The volume of air freight handled at SIA in H1 2017 was more than 72,998 tons, including 11,157 tonnes in June, while the amount of sea-air freight registered during the period from January until the end of June 2017 was 5,346 tons.

Sharjah Airport Authority chairman Ali Salim Al Midfa said: “The number of passengers through Sharjah International Airport continues to grow as a result of the continuous development of the facilities and services.

“The smart gates have contributed to the airport’s capacity while there has also been an increase in the number of destinations served by the airlines operating at the airport. Also, the activities and festivals organised by Sharjah have given a boost to tourism and attracted more visitors.”

According to statistics, more than 850,000 passengers have passed through the 16 Smart Gates at Sharjah International Airport since they were launched in October 2016.

The smart gates have reduced the time required to carry out passport control procedures by more than 70%, helping to cut the waiting time, as travellers can now get through passport control within 20 seconds and pass through the gates in less than 10 seconds.