During 2021, the Sharjah Airport Authority intensified efforts to strengthen its ambitious goals at various levels -- launching numerous services and operations, attracting new airlines, initiating major programs, and strengthening partnerships, as part of Sharjah Airport’s ambitions to cement its position on the global travel map and achieve greater success.
Last year, the Sharjah Airport served over 7 million passengers with more than 57 thousand aircraft movements, with an approximate number of 1.2 million passengers recorded in December, which is consistent with the pre-pandemic levels. The numbers are indicative of recovery efforts and a promising travel season ahead amidst the highest precautionary measures and increased passenger confidence in the market.
The volume of cargo handled during 2021 reached over 140,717 tons, while the volume of sea-air cargo reached 18,696 tons, representing a 22.27% increase from 2019.
Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, said: “Despite various challenges, Sharjah Airport achieved numerous achievements in 2021, reinforcing its position in the global aviation industry. These achievements can be attributed to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr 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.”
For his part, 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 continue to work on development and modernization projects, as well as prepare for the overall recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He noted: “ Sharjah Airport plays a key role in boosting the overall growth of the economy and thereby promote national development. We continue to enhance our infrastructure and services which serve as a model in terms of quality, safety and operational efficiency standards, capable of accommodating large number of passengers and cargo.”
Achievements and awards: In 2021, Sharjah Airport successfully 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 Certificate (ISO 27001:2013) for the Global Information Security Management System for the next three years (January 2021 to January 2024) and won the award for Best Electronic Awareness Plan in Information Security for 2021, at the Cybersecurity and Innovation events held in Dubai, as well as the Sharjah Excellence Award 2020 – 2021, for Sharjah Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Sharjah Airport Authority has launched many new solutions and services with the aim of providing travelers an integrated smart environment. The Airport now provides Self Service Travel, where travelers can complete check-in procedures and drop baggage on their own, ultimately reducing passenger waiting time during rush hours.
The Airport has also employed the use of smart Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. 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 to help enhance security levels and speed up passenger procedures.
Sharjah has emerged as a travel hub. To meet this 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
2021 also saw the opening of a new branch of the Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA) in Dubai, to help meet with the growing demand for services from both individuals and companies. The agency has also signed a travel agent agreement with Pakistan International Airlines, allowing it to provide tickets sales services through the airline.
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