Sharjah Update Sharjah business & Investment News from Invest in Sharjah (Sharjah FDI Office)
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A master plan for the expansion of Sharjah International Airport is currently under study by the Government of Sharjah, according to UAE daily newspaper Gulf News. The plan, developed by American engineering firm Bechtel last year, supports the airport’s goal of increasing capacity from 8.5 million passengers per year to 25 million by 2025.
Sharjah International Airport opened a new AED 500 million (US$ 136m) airport runway in October last year, significantly expanding the airport’s aircraft capacity. The new runway allows large and new-generation ICAO Code F aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeings B747-8 Intercontinental and B747-8 freighter. The new runway has also increased the airport’s ability to grow its cargo business. Meanwhile, the old runway now serves as a taxiway.
According to the Sharjah Airport Authority the new airport masterplan recommends a new terminal, construction of new roads around the airport, plus additional services such as a new hotel and shopping mall.
Passenger traffic at Sharjah International Airport increased 6 percent during the first three months of 2015 to 2.4 million passengers, compared with 2.25 million during the first three months of last year. The airport has enjoyed accelerated growth over the past few years, registering 13 percent passenger growth in both 2012 and 2013 and 12 percent growth in 2014.
Source: Gulf News, Sharjah Airport Authority
