With holiday passenger volumes cresting to record highs, Sharjah Airport has urged travellers to arrive at least three hours before departure between now and 2 January. The advisory, issued on 29 December, is part of a broader operational upgrade that includes extra staffing, new fast-track lanes and the opening of the Al Diyafah premium lounge at the departure hall entrance.
Airport management said winter traffic is up double digits year-on-year, driven by Air Arabia’s expanding European network and spill-over from capacity-constrained Dubai International. To smooth flows the airport has rolled out additional self-service kiosks, dedicated bag-drop counters and smart-gate immigration lanes. Air Arabia and Fly Jinnah passengers can now complete home or city-check-in, allowing them to proceed straight to passport control on arrival at the terminal.
![Sharjah Airport issues three-hour check-in advisory and opens new lounges ahead of New Year rush]()
For business travellers the key takeaway is time budgeting: highway congestion around University City Road has been acute during peak evening waves, and parking lots are nearing capacity. Companies moving staff through Sharjah should factor extended kerb-to-gate times into duty-of-care calculations and advise travellers to use taxi or app-based transfers rather than private cars whenever possible.
Sharjah Airport handled 15.3 million passengers in the first nine months of 2025 and expects to surpass 20 million for the full year. The current upgrade programme is designed to lift terminal throughput to 25 million by 2027, a target that will further cement the emirate’s role as the UAE’s low-cost carrier hub.
Airport management said winter traffic is up double digits year-on-year, driven by Air Arabia’s expanding European network and spill-over from capacity-constrained Dubai International. To smooth flows the airport has rolled out additional self-service kiosks, dedicated bag-drop counters and smart-gate immigration lanes. Air Arabia and Fly Jinnah passengers can now complete home or city-check-in, allowing them to proceed straight to passport control on arrival at the terminal.
For business travellers the key takeaway is time budgeting: highway congestion around University City Road has been acute during peak evening waves, and parking lots are nearing capacity. Companies moving staff through Sharjah should factor extended kerb-to-gate times into duty-of-care calculations and advise travellers to use taxi or app-based transfers rather than private cars whenever possible.
Sharjah Airport handled 15.3 million passengers in the first nine months of 2025 and expects to surpass 20 million for the full year. The current upgrade programme is designed to lift terminal throughput to 25 million by 2027, a target that will further cement the emirate’s role as the UAE’s low-cost carrier hub.
Source: Gulf News
