Sharjah International Airport
Encyclopedia
Sharjah International Airport (Urdu:شارجہ بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا) is located in Sharjah
, United Arab Emirates
.
Sharjah Airport is the second largest Middle East Airfreight Hub in terms of cargo tonnage, according to official 2009 statistics from Airports Council International. Ground services company, Sharjah Aviation Services, handled 421,398 tonnes in 2009 - a 16.1% increase year on year.
Sharjah International Airport is home base of the low-cost carrier
Air Arabia
. The headquarters of Air Arabia is in the Sharjah Freight Center, on the property of the airport. in Sharjah
, United Arab Emirates
. The center is an old cargo terminal.
The airport is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away from central Dubai
; a drive that ought to take 15 minutes can take up to two hours in rush hour traffic.
and which was subsequently used by the RAF until 14 December 1971. The reason for the move was development pressure from the city of Sharjah. The old airport's runway is now part of King Abdul Aziz Street in the city centre. The airport was used by the United States Air Force
926th Tactical Fighter Group during Operation Desert Shield/Storm
. Approximately 450 members of the unit were stationed at the airport, which flew A-10 Thunderbolt II
ground attack aircraft during the conflict in late 1990 and early 1991.
Sharjah (city)
Sharjah is the third largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.Sharjah is the seat of government of the emirate of Sharjah...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
.
Sharjah Airport is the second largest Middle East Airfreight Hub in terms of cargo tonnage, according to official 2009 statistics from Airports Council International. Ground services company, Sharjah Aviation Services, handled 421,398 tonnes in 2009 - a 16.1% increase year on year.
Sharjah International Airport is home base of the low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
Air Arabia
Air Arabia
Air Arabia is a low-cost airline with its head office in the Sharjah Freight Center, Sharjah International Airport, in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates....
. The headquarters of Air Arabia is in the Sharjah Freight Center, on the property of the airport. in Sharjah
Sharjah (city)
Sharjah is the third largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.Sharjah is the seat of government of the emirate of Sharjah...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. The center is an old cargo terminal.
The airport is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away from central Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
; a drive that ought to take 15 minutes can take up to two hours in rush hour traffic.
History
The current Sharjah Airport was built in the 1970s and was opened on 1 January 1977, replacing an airport closer to the city that had been opened in 1932 for use by Imperial AirwaysImperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
and which was subsequently used by the RAF until 14 December 1971. The reason for the move was development pressure from the city of Sharjah. The old airport's runway is now part of King Abdul Aziz Street in the city centre. The airport was used by the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
926th Tactical Fighter Group during Operation Desert Shield/Storm
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. Approximately 450 members of the unit were stationed at the airport, which flew A-10 Thunderbolt II
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
ground attack aircraft during the conflict in late 1990 and early 1991.
Airlines and destinations
Cargo airlines
Statistics
The number of passengers passing through Sharjah International Airport has drastically increased in the past decade.| Year | Total Passengers | Total Cargo | Total Aircraft Movements |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1,001,852 | 580,550 | 27,577 |
| 2000 | 948,207 | 475,122 | 25,997 |
| 2001 | 861,478 | 415,587 | 24,431 |
| 2002 | 1,028,624 | 497,010 | 24,803 |
| 2003 | 1,247,458 | 507,644 | 28,017 |
| 2004 | 1,661,941 | 500,927 | 32,334 |
| 2005 | 2,237,646 | 505,392 | 38,699 |
| 2006 | 3,064,396 | 569,511 | 44,182 |
| 2007 | 4,324,313 | 570,363 | 51,314 |
| 2008 | 5,280,445 | 586,677 | 60,813 |
| 2009 | 5,764,098 | 501,824 | 61,451 |
Incidents and accidents
- On 15 December 1997 a Tupolev Tu-154Tupolev Tu-154The Tupolev Tu-154 is a three-engine medium-range narrow-body airliner designed in the mid 1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. As the mainstay 'workhorse' of Soviet and Russian airlines for several decades, it serviced over a sixth of the world's landmass and carried half of all passengers flown...
from Tajik Air flight 3183 crashed on approach to SHJ. Some 13 km from Sharjah the plane ran into terrain and 85 of the 86 occupants died. One of the seven crew members survived the disaster. - On 10 February 2004, Kish Air Flight 7170Kish Air Flight 7170Kish Air Flight 7170 was a scheduled passenger flight between Kish Island, Iran and Sharjah, United Arab Emirates . The aircraft crashed while approaching to land at Sharjah International Airport killing 43 people.-The aircraft:...
, operated by a Fokker 50 crashed on approach, killing 43 of its 46 occupants, which consisted of 6 crew and 40 passengers. - On 7 November 2004 a Boeing 747Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
-230 Freighter was damaged beyond repair due to an aborted take-off with insufficient length runway remaining. None of the 4 crew were injured. The take-off was aborted after a report of smoke from the tower and hearing a loud bang in the cockpit. - On 21 October 2009, Azza TransportAzza TransportAzza Transport is a cargo airline based in Khartoum, Sudan. It operates a cargo charter service throughout Africa and the Middle East and is planning services for Europe. Its main base is Khartoum International Airport.-History:...
Flight 2241Azza Transport Flight 2241Azza Transport Flight 2241 was a scheduled cargo flight from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to Khartoum, Sudan, which crashed on 21 October 2009.-Aircraft:...
, operated by a Boeing 707-320Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
crashed on take-off. The flight was carrying cargo only and all six crew were killed.