UAE' Sharjah Airport Receives 6 Million Travelers in H1 2022

An Emirates plane seen on Feb. 10, 2013. (Photo: Kamran Jebreili AP)
An Emirates plane seen on Feb. 10, 2013. (Photo: Kamran Jebreili AP)
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UAE' Sharjah Airport Receives 6 Million Travelers in H1 2022

An Emirates plane seen on Feb. 10, 2013. (Photo: Kamran Jebreili AP)
An Emirates plane seen on Feb. 10, 2013. (Photo: Kamran Jebreili AP)

Sharjah Airport registered a 142.74% rise in passenger traffic during the first half of 2022, equivalent to approximately six million passengers.

The the number of flights at the airport also grew with a total of 41,189 aircrafts operating in H1 this year compared to 21,709 in the same period last year, registering an increase of 89.73%.

Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority Ali Salim Al Midfa said: "The considerable growth in the number of travellers using our airport solidifies the Emirate of Sharjah as a preferred destination for travel and business."

"The figures also represent the confidence and trust that a large number of travelers place in Sharjah Airport. Our continuous efforts to offer leading innovative services and gain passengers' satisfaction guarantee a safe and distinguished travel experience," he added.

State news agency WAM reported that the Sharjah Airport Authority is relentlessly working towards achieving its strategy to improve the passengers' travel experience and enhance the airport's regional and global competitiveness.



Egypt Completes Trial Run of New Suez Canal Channel Extension

An Egyptian navy vessel see in the Suez Canal, March 30, 2021. (AFP/Getty Images)
An Egyptian navy vessel see in the Suez Canal, March 30, 2021. (AFP/Getty Images)
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Egypt Completes Trial Run of New Suez Canal Channel Extension

An Egyptian navy vessel see in the Suez Canal, March 30, 2021. (AFP/Getty Images)
An Egyptian navy vessel see in the Suez Canal, March 30, 2021. (AFP/Getty Images)

Egypt said on Saturday it had successfully tested a new 10 km channel near the southern end of the Suez Canal.

The Suez Canal Authority said in a statement that during a trial run two ships passed through a new stretch of the canal's two-way section without incident.

Following the 2021 grounding of the container ship Ever Given that blocked the vital waterway for six days, Egypt accelerated plans to extend the second channel in the southern reaches of the canal and widen the existing channel.

Its revenue from the waterway, the gateway to the shortest route between Europe and Asia, has nevertheless tumbled since Yemen's Houthi militias began attacking ships in the Red Sea in November 2023 in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Thursday that due to "regional challenges", the country had lost approximately $7 billion in Suez Canal revenue in 2024, marking more than a 60% drop from 2023.

According to the Suez Canal Authority, the latest expansion extends the total length of the canal's two-way section to 82 km from a previous 72 km. The canal is 193 km long in total.

"This expansion will boost the canal's capacity by an additional 6 to 8 ships daily and enhance its ability to handle potential emergencies," the Suez Canal Authority said in its statement.

Earlier this year, Egypt said that it was considering an additional expansion project separate to the 10 km channel extension.