Sharjah Airport served over 7 million travellers in 2021

SHARJAH: In 2021, the Sharjah Airport recorded more than seven million passengers with more than 57,000 aircraft movements, and approximately 1.2 million passengers in December, consistent with the pre-pandemic levels.

The Sharjah Airport Authority intensified efforts to strengthen its ambitious goals at various levels, launching numerous services and operations, attracting new airlines, initiating major programmes, and strengthening partnerships, as part of Sharjah Airport’s ambitions to cement its position on the global travel map and achieve greater success.

The volume of cargo in 2021, crossed 140,717 tonnes, while the volume of sea-air cargo reached 18,696 tonnes, representing a 22.27 per cent increase from 2019.

The numbers are indicative of recovery efforts and a promising travel season ahead amidst the highest preventive measures and increased passenger confidence in the market.

Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, said, “Despite various challenges, Sharjah Airport registered numerous achievements in 2021, reinforcing its position in the global aviation industry. These achievements can be attributed to the vision of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairman of the Executive Council, that have shaped it to become one of the best regional airports.”

Sheikh Faisal Bin Saoud Al Qassimi, Director of Sharjah Airport Authority, said, “The year 2021 was exceptional, as we managed to enhance travel flow and passenger comfort, and continued to work on development and modernisation projects and prepare for the overall recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Achievements and Awards In 2021, Sharjah Airport renewed the ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) for the second consecutive year, becoming the first in the country and the seventh in the Middle East to reach this milestone. It was also awarded a Gold Accreditation as a friendly entity for people with mobility disabilities from the World Federation for the Handicapped, becoming the fourth airport in the world to receive this certificate.

The airport also received the “Gold Award” for Best Corporate Website from the Global Excellence (GX) Awards. In addition, the Sharjah Airport Authority was able to renew the ISO Certification (ISO 27001:2013) for the Global Information Security Management System for the next three years (January 2021 to January 2024). It won the award for Best Electronic Awareness Plan in Information Security for 2021, at the Cybersecurity and Innovation events held in Dubai, and the Sharjah Excellence Award 2020 – 2021, for Sharjah Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

New Smart Services Sharjah Airport now provides Self Service Travel, where travellers can complete check-in procedures and drop baggage independently.

The airport has also employed the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. A Passenger Flow and Queue Management system has been implemented to enhance the efficiency of operational procedures across check-in areas, security checks, and passport control. An Automated Boarding Pass Verification system has also been implemented to verify all types of boarding passes.

Receiving New airlines, New Destinations To meet the increasing demand in travel to and from Sharjah, the Sharjah Airport has officially celebrated the inauguration of flights from various new airlines, including Indian airlines Vistara and Go First, Russia’s Aeroflot, Qatar Airways, Anadolu Jet- a subsidiary of Turkish Airlines, Pakistan’s SereneAir, Syrian Cham Wings Airline, Ukraine’s Bees Airline, Oman Air, Salam Air from Muscat, “Fly Egypt” from Egypt and Kazakhstan’s FlyArystan.

Partnerships and Agreements The year 2021 also saw the opening of a new branch of the Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA) in Dubai, to help meet the growing demand for services from individuals and companies. The agency has also signed a travel agent agreement with Pakistan International Airlines, allowing it to provide ticket sales services through the airline.

Comprehensive Expansion Project The ongoing comprehensive expansion project aims to raise the airport’s capacity to 20 million passengers, with an estimated total area of more than 120,000 square metres. This project would cost up to AED1.9 billion and includes a complete expansion of the passenger terminal to increase capacity and ensure smooth movement through the airport.

During the past year, Sharjah Airport has witnessed many achievements, including the construction of the new MoGas fuel station and the sewage treatment plant, which began operating. Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority also launched a substation at the airport with a capacity of 33 kV.

Participations and Initiatives The Sharjah Airport Authority has promoted various initiatives to develop airport mechanisms further. These strategic initiatives have enabled the broad integration of innovations within the various operations of the airport, raising the quality of service for travellers and ensuring a safe and comfortable travel experience.

The authority has also launched the Sharjah Airport Sonic Branding to add a new dimension to its identity through sound. The sonic branding is inspired by the movement and sounds of the airport and is part of the authority’s strategy to adopt new standards of innovation.

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