Work on the terminal expansion project at Sharjah International Airport has begun with HH Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, having laid the foundation stone for the development.

The 190,000-sq-m terminal project is the largest phase of a series of expansion projects with a total cost of AED2.4 billion ($653.45 million) and is expected to be completed in 2027.

The new terminal itself will cost AED1.235 billion and will raise the airport’s capacity to 20 million passengers annually. The expansion will separate the arrivals from the departures and offer new systems and facilities.

Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed was briefed on the project’s features such as the self-check-in machines, electronic boarding gates, waiting lounges, food courts, and a hotel for transit passengers. He also received detailed information on the communications technology systems to be used, which are set to improve operational efficiency.

Parsons International had won an AED51.5 million contract to serve as the project manager for the expansion project in May 2017.

Sharjah Airport witnessed an impressive surge in passenger traffic last year.