Sharjah International Airport (SIA) authority is planning to build a new Dh1.3 billion ($354 million) terminal to meet the  sudden boom in passenger numbers to the emirate, said an official.

Due to the growth in passenger numbers using the airport, Sharjah Airport Authority has been forced to look at ways to meet the demand, the SIA official said.

The plan of the new terminal is under development and would take two years to be operational.

Owing to the increase in construction prices, SIA has not put a final figure to the investment as the consultants are still working on it. But it will be double the amount that SIA have spent on the current terminal, he said.

No further details are known about the size of the terminal plan, the official added.

In 2006, 3.4 million passengers had used the Sharjah airport and the number grew to 4.5 million in 2007. -TradeArabia News Service