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Sharjah Airport passenger traffic jumps 14% to 19.4 million in 2025

Sharjah Airport handles 19.4 million passengers as routes, airlines and cargo expand

Last updated: January 21, 2026 | 15:36

Nivetha Dayanand, Assistant Business Editor

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Sharjah Airport posts 14% passenger growth on route expansion.

Sharjah International Airport

Dubai: Sharjah International Airport welcomed 19.48 million passengers last year, up from 17.1 million in 2024 and 15.36 million in 2023, Sharjah Airport Authority said on Wednesday. The 13.9% annual increase highlights sustained momentum driven by network expansion, new airline partnerships and continued investment in operations and services.

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Aircraft movements reached a new high of 116,657 flights, representing an 8.3% rise from the previous year. Traffic growth reflects stronger regional connectivity and rising demand for Sharjah as a gateway linking Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Network expansion fuels demand

Route growth played a central role in the airport’s performance. Sharjah Airport expanded connectivity to more than 100 global destinations during 2025, while four new international airlines joined its network. New services and streamlined procedures were also introduced to improve passenger flows and reduce processing times.

Air connectivity widened further with the launch of additional routes by Air Arabia, including direct flights to Krabi, Munich, Prague, Warsaw Modlin, Vienna, Addis Ababa, and Sochi. New destinations in Iran, including Ahvaz, Qeshm and Bandar Abbas, strengthened regional links, while direct flights to London are scheduled to begin in March 2026.

Cargo and logistics gain ground

Growth extended beyond passenger traffic. Air cargo volumes handled at Sharjah Airport reached 204,323 tonnes in 2025, up from 195,909 tonnes in 2024 and 141,358 tonnes in 2023. Sea freight operations also recorded steady gains, rising to 16,770 tonnes last year, compared with 14,035 tonnes in 2024 and 12,566 tonnes in 2023.

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The expansion reflects rising demand for integrated logistics solutions, including sea-air cargo services, and reinforces Sharjah’s position within global supply chains. Partnerships with international cargo carriers have supported the airport’s growing role as a logistics hub.

Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, said the results underline the effectiveness of the airport’s long-term strategy and focus on operational excellence. He said rising passenger and cargo volumes align with plans to expand capacity, enhance service quality and support Sharjah’s wider economic and tourism ambitions.

Continued investment in infrastructure, digital systems and sustainability initiatives remains central to the airport’s growth agenda, alongside deeper collaboration with airlines and logistics operators.

Sheikh Faisal bin Saud Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Airport Authority, said the strong performance highlights the airport’s growing role in supporting travel, trade and business activity. He said advanced infrastructure, efficient governance and a supportive regulatory environment have enabled Sharjah Airport to meet rising demand while maintaining high service standards.

Sharjah Airport Authority said efforts to enhance the passenger experience, improve cargo efficiency and strengthen environmental performance will continue.

Nivetha DayanandAssistant Business Editor

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, covering aviation, financial markets and commodities. A business and financial journalist with a strong interest in multimedia storytelling, she regularly takes complex financial and economic subjects beyond the written word, producing explainer videos that make them easier for a wider audience to understand. Nivetha has interviewed senior policymakers, business leaders and global financial figures both on and off camera. Her past guests include UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, a member of the House of Saud and the founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund and Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu. She has also hosted and moderated panels, conferences and awards shows, bringing her newsroom experience to live conversations on business, finance and the economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha is drawn to stories that affect people directly and to reporting that gives a platform to voices that might otherwise go unheard. She was among the first journalists to speak to Petrofac employees in the UAE about unpaid salaries, broke the news of the planned demolition of Dubai’s well-known “Toyota Building”, and helped set the record straight on widely circulated claims that a giant replica of the Moon was coming to Dubai. More recently, her exclusive interview with EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar revealed how the UAE-based defence group deployed its systems along the country’s shore border and established a geofence around the UAE within 48 hours of the February 28 escalation. Prior to joining Gulf News, Nivetha worked at ITP Media, where she helped launch Finance Middle East, a new publication covering the region’s financial sector. Her role spanned reporting and editing, video production, interviews and events. Across print, digital, and video, she focuses on finding the people behind business stories and explaining why those stories matter to the audience reading or watching them.

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