Sunday September 29th, 2019
Sharjah Airport has made a qualitative achievement by ranking first among the airports in the Middle East and North Africa and fourth internationally in terms of on time performance and punctuality according to Official Airlines Guide (OAG), the world’s provider of airport and airline information. During the first half (H1) 2019, the accuracy in flight departure times from Sharjah Airport was 91.1%, which is a domestic and international achievement.
15.2% Growth in H1
This achievement is in line with Sharjah Airport Authority’s (SAA) strategy to enhance the Airport’s competitiveness regionally and globally as well as to improve the passenger experience, especially in light of the high growth rates in air movement and number of passengers and flights. The number of passengers increased by 15.25% as compared to H1 2018.
Due to the high number of passengers during Hajj season, Eid Al Adha and the end of the summer holidays, the number of passengers in August 2019 grew by 9% as compared to August 2018; reflecting the Airport’s ability to continue to perform positively and to move forward with further achievements and progress in all areas.
Inspirational Vision and Effective Plans
HE Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA), stated that this international ranking achievement in terms of punctuality is a result of Sharjah Airport’s exceptional procedures in cooperation with its partners, the use of smart technology and services to increase the flow through the Airport even during peak times, and increasing efforts to innovate and achieve excellence in line with Sharjah’s leadership to enhance competitiveness in all fields. SAA is keen to continue to develop services, expedite procedures and delight customers and passengers.
His Excellency said that he appreciated the joint efforts of all Airport sectors, pointing out that Sharjah Airport is distinguished by the accuracy of internal procedures in these sectors – a key element for the successful operation of any airport, as well as the implementation of an effective strategy to develop the infrastructure and services provided based on a timeline that includes many projects designed to enhance the passenger experience. He stated that the Airport looks forward to maintaining this achievement and increasing the punctuality of flight departure times to maintain its leading role among the airports in the region and worldwide.
Sharjah Airport is undergoing an expansion to keep pace with the growing demand for travel. Sharjah Airport has approved a new expansion project, which aims to increase the Airport’s capacity to approximately 20 million passengers by 2025 at a total cost of AED 1.5 billion. Upon completion, the project will be an important addition to the Airport and to the aviation sector in Sharjah and the UAE in general. The Airport also launched a number of smart services, the most important of which are the Smart Gates that allow passport control procedures to be completed more quickly, reducing the amount of time spent standing while passports are checked and stamped.
