Sharjah Airport passenger numbers rise 11.5%

The number of passengers travelling through Sharjah International Airport increased by 11.55 per cent in the first half of the year, the Sharjah Airport Authority said on Sunday.

The airport, home to regional low cost carrier Air Arabia, handled 5.35 million passengers in the six months to June 30 compared to 4.79 million a year earlier, the airport authority said in a statement.

Aircraft landings and take-offs — or “movements” — increased by 5.74 per cent to 36,237 compared to 34,270 year ago.

The increase in passenger numbers and movements was attributed to new Air Arabia routes, additional frequencies and new services launched by airlines not based at the airport.

The amount of freight handled at the airport in the first half was 92,000 tonnes, a 15 per cent year-on-year decline, according to Gulf Newscalculations. Sea-Air cargo handled was “more than” 6,399, the statement said, which is 32 per cent less than a year ago, according toGulf News calculations.

The airport authority did not provide comparative figures for cargo volumes.

Sharjah International is the UAE’s third largest airport after Dubai International, home to Emirates, and Abu Dhabi International, the base of Etihad Airways.