The Sharjah Airport Authority has said that the number of passengers passing through Sharjah Airport in 2023 reached 15.3 million.
This figure represents a 17.4 percent increase over its 2022 figures of 13.1 million passengers.
Subsequently, there was a 12.5 percent growth in overall air traffic with more than 98,000 flight movements in 2023, compared to around 87,000 in 2022.
The total cargo volume handled through Sharjah Airport in 2023 reached more than 141,000 tonnes.
The airport's operational capacity grew last year with the addition of seven new passenger destinations, including Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, the cities of Kazan and Samara 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 United States, Kigali in Rwanda and Nashik in India.
Sharjah Airport is connected to more than 100 destinations through 33 international airlines in 62 countries.
India was the most popular destination for travelers using the airport last year, with more than 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 Sharjah travelers included Doha, with a total of more than 723,000 passengers, representing a growth of more than 95 percent 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.
Sharjah Airport Authority also confirmed that it is continuing with its expansion project which is expected to be completed in 2027.
In early January 2024, the cornerstone was laid for the expansion project of the new passenger terminal at Sharjah Airport, the largest package in a series of expansion projects with a total cost of Dh2.4 billion. The terminal expansion is expected to increase the airport's capacity to 20 million passengers, separate arrivals from departures and increase the number of self-check-in and self-ride devices. In addition, it will establish new roads and accesses, parking 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 goal of improving the infrastructure and services provided, especially in the field of autonomous travel, to meet the expectations of the airline. community, maintaining our focus on delivering a distinctive travel experience for all passengers while expanding the airport's network and connectivity.”
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