Sharjah passenger traffic saw strong growth throughout the year, growing by 6 percent in Q1, 10% in Q3 and 15% in Q4. The only quarter that didn’t register a year-on-year increase in pure numbers was the second quarter of 2015, since 2014 experienced an exceptional increase in airport traffic during May and June due to the volume of traffic diverted from Dubai International Airport for a scheduled runway closure.
Sharjah International Airport’s growth is underpinned by the ongoing expansion of Sharjah-headquartered budget airline Air Arabia. The airline underwent significant growth during 2015, expanding its route network to more than 115 destinations and becoming the region’s first low-cost carrier (LCC) to launch direct services to China.
Meanwhile, global business aviation services company Gama Aviation continues to invest in its Sharjah hub, encouraging a number of aircraft owners and operators to make Sharjah airport their principal base of operations. 2015 also saw Gama Aviation cut basic handling rates for its fixed base operation (FBO) at Sharjah International Airport by 20 percent following a global review, making Sharjah’s private aviation services highly competitive with other hubs around the region.
Sharjah airport opened a new super-jumbo capable AED 500 million (US$ 136m) airport runway in 2014, significantly expanding the airport’s capacity, in line with its goal of handling 25 million passengers by the year 2025.
The airport recently announced a new automated baggage management system, based on SITA’s baggage management and communication technology. More than 4.5 million departing bags are handled at the airport each year.
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