Sharjah extends air traffic contract with UK firm

17 January 2018
Sharjah’s Civil Aviation Department and Serco Middle East signed initial air traffic services contract in 2014

The Civil Aviation Department (DCA) of Sharjah  has signed a one-year extension with UK-headquartered Serco Middle East for the provision of air traffic services at Sharjah International airport.

MEED understands this is the second one-year extension to the initial contract, valued at £7m ($9.6m), which was signed in 2014.

According to Serco, they have jointly revamped the airport’s aeronautical information system (AIS) instituting extensive training programmes for the existing staff and cross-training each one into three different specialties.

“The result of these efforts is a centralised and more efficient service and increased competence and expertise of the staff,” Serco said in a statement.

Last year, the Sharjah Airport Authority  awarded US-based Parsons a project management services contract for the planning, design, construction, and commissioning of the Sharjah International airport’s expansion.

The budget for the expansion of the airport, understood to be around AED1.5bn ($400m), was also approved last year.

The project will include numerous facilities as well as the expansion of the passenger terminal building and the widening of roads to and from the airport. The planned expansion will take the airport capacity from 8 to 25 million passengers annually.

Sharjah International is the main hub of UAE’s first low-cost carrier Air Arabia. It is located roughly 25 kilometres southeast of Dubai International airport.

 

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