Mixed reactions from people on Dh35 Sharjah Airport fee

Sharjah - The move comes barely a week after Dubai airport introduced the same fee.

The Sharjah Executive Council (SEC) has issued a resolution that calls for collection of a Dh35 departure fee at the Sharjah International Airport for the use of airport facilities and services.
According to Resolution No. 12 for year 2016, the airport facilities' fee will be paid by all passengers,including transit passengers who leave Sharjah through the airport.
Passengers under the age of two, on-duty aircraft crew and transit passengers who have the same flight number for arrival and departure will be exempted.
The decision was taken during the SEC session chaired by Shaikh Abdullah bin Salem bin SultaN Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council.
The council also endorsed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) involving the Sharjah International Airport Authority, the General Command of Sharjah Police and the Sharjah Seaports and Customs Department on security measures implemented at the shipping centre of Sharjah International Airport.
Additionally, the SEC discussed a comprehensive study of light signals in Sharjah with a focus on traffic control systems and proposals will be submitted to His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.
Reactions of residents were mixed. Egyptian national Islam Al Shiwy said the extra service charges will bring more revenues to fund the ongoing and planned development projects at the airport.
"But this means that passengers have to shell out more money whether they fly through the Sharjah or Dubai international airports as similar additional service charges have been recently imposed on users of Dubai airports," he said.
Sulaiman Al Mahi, a Sudanese expat, said he believed that the extra service charges must have been well-studied to provide better services to the passengers and finance other infrastructure projects.
Adnan Ukasha, a Jordanian resident, said the extra charges will be hopefully used for the development and expansion projects of the airport .
"The move may encourage passengers to fly through the Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, from where they can take their favourite affordable carriers," he said.
Sherif Al Wakeel, an Egyptian, said: "The additional Dh35 service charges, similar to those of Dubai, which means that I would have to pay more than Dh140 to cover my family, and that is really too much as extra charges are to be paid back home at Egyptian airports."
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah