Page 246 - SHARJAH AIRPORT PR REPORT - FEBRUARY 2024

2/21/24, 10:48 AM Dubai to host the world’s largest airport industry show - GulfToday
He added, “Airport Show will remain the best venue to select and source the cutting-edge
technologies and newest innovative products to better the airport operations.”

Organised by RX, part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision
tools that organises about 400 events in 22 countries across 42 industry sectors, the show is
supported by prominent players in the aviation industry, including the Dubai Civil Aviation
Authority (DCAA), Dubai Airports, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP), and dnata.

May Ismail, Event Manager at RX, stated, “The airport industry will be back to full business
when we meet in 2024. The pace of growth and expansion that was halted is back at a
phenomenal rate. The projects that took off again suggest no end to expansion and growth.
What had been put on the back burner is now in the front.”

According to a CAPA report, 425 major construction projects were on at existing airports
worldwide, with $450 billion in investments. There were 225 new airport projects, and more
than 70 percent of the investment was in Asia Pacific. There were 1,074 airport investors, of
which 258 were airport operators, groups or consortiums. About 68 percent of all projects
were based on terminals, either expansions or new developments. A report has disclosed that
the global airport construction market grew to $1.14 trillion in 2023 and would reach $1.8
trillion by 2030.

Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international travellers continuously
for nine years, is also building up the capacity and facilities to make the hub more impressive.
Now serving 250 destinations in 104 countries through 95 airlines, DXB has mega expansion
plans that will entail investments of up to $2. 7 billion. The capacity and service level
enhancements over the coming ten years have been necessitated as its home base carriers
ordered another 120 aircraft - 90 Boeing-777s for Emirates and 30 Boeing-787s for flydubai.

Sharjah, home to the Arabian Gulf’s first airport, has started work on an Dhs1.2 billion ($327
million) terminal expansion that will increase the airport’s capacity to 20 million passengers a
year. The expansion project will separate the arrivals from departures areas and enhance its
systems and amenities. It is the largest phase of expansion work being undertaken at a total
cost of AED2.4 billion and is expected to be completed in 2027. Improvements will include
additional self-check-in kiosks, electronic boarding gates, a spacious waiting zone, dining
facilities, and a transit passenger hotel. Sharjah Airport, home of the MENA region’s largest
LCC Air Arabia, added six new passenger destinations and three air cargo routes in 2023.
The airport handled about 13.1 million passengers in 2022 and will be able to handle up to 25
million passengers by 2026.

WAM

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