Passenger traffic more than doubled at Sharjah Airport in the first half of the year amid a continued recovery in travel demand.
The airport handled six million passengers between January and June, up from 2.5 million in the first half of last year, as demand for leisure and business travel continued to rebound, it said in a statement on Monday.
The growth was driven by a recovery among its airline customers, “including Air Arabia, the UAE national carrier based in Sharjah Airport, who has successfully recommenced their operations to various destinations in their network, which has resulted in the growing number of passengers in the airport”, said Ali Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority.
The global aviation industry is in the midst of a post-pandemic rebound that has been complicated by a labour shortage, higher oil prices, rising inflation and supply chain problems.
Sharjah Airport is home to Air Arabia, which is optimistic about the financial outlook for 2022 as it expects air travel demand to remain strong this year and next, after dampened appetite during the pandemic, Adel Ali, group chief executive of Air Arabia, said at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai in May.
Sharjah Airport recorded a total of 41,189 aircraft movements in the first half of 2022, compared with 21,709 in the same period last year, it said.
“As a result of increased demand for travel through Sharjah Airport, particularly in light of the expansion of the network of destinations served by the airport, the positive growth in travel rates is expected to continue in the second half of 2022 as well,” Mr Al Midfa said.
Between January and June, Sharjah Airport handled more than 96,000 tonnes of cargo, an increase of 50.39 per cent compared to 63,844 tonnes in same period last year.
Air cargo has been a rare bright spot for the aviation industry during the past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, with rates increasing due to a surge in e-commerce and pandemic-related supply chain bottlenecks driving demand for air cargo services.
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
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