Page 278 - SHARJAH AIRPORT PR REPORT - FEBRUARY 2024

2/21/24, 10:51 AM PRESSR: Middle East airports expanding in a fast-forward mode to handle zooming passenger numbers — TradingView News
was halted is back at a phenomenal rate. The projects that took off again

clearly suggest there is 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 US$450 billion in investments. There were 225 new

airport projects and more than 70 percent of the investment was in Asia Pacific.

There were 1074 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 US$1.14 trillion in 2023, and would reach

US$1.8 trillion by 2030.

Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international

travelers 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 US$2. 7 billion. The enhancements in capacity and service

levels over the coming 10 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 AED1.2

billion (US$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

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