Dubai: Passenger traffic at Sharjah International Airport reached 11.36 million passengers in 2017, an increase of 327,000 passengers when compared to 2016.
A statement from the airport on Sunday said that aircraft movements in 2017 touched 77,627, supported by the addition of new airlines and their access to new destinations.
In the air freight segment, the airport said it handled 148,312 tons of cargo amid regional and global challenges in the sector.
Ali Salim Al Midfa, chairman of the Sharjah Airport Authority, said that the figures for 2017 show continued growth in passenger traffic and cargo, highlighting the potential of Sharjah’s airport and the civil aviation sector in achieving economic and tourism growth.
Sharjah International Airport is set for expansion, having granted Parsons Overseas the management of the airport expansion project with a value of Dh58 million.
In total, the expansion will cost an estimated Dh1.5 billion, and will allow the airport to handle a capacity of about 20 million passengers in 2027.
In 2017, the airport signed two commercial deals with Gama Aviation Services, under which Gama will build and operate a new private terminal at Sharjah airport at an investment cost exceeding Dh110 million.
