Nigel Johnson, managing director of Hertz UAE

Hertz UAE has announced the opening of a new car rental outlet at Sharjah International Airport, a move aimed to capitalise on the increasing international inbound traffic coming into the emirate.

The Sharjah International Airport recorded a 13.6 per cent increase in passenger traffic in 2012, with 7.5 million passengers passing through the airport for the year, compared to 6.6 million in 2011.

The airport welcomes an average of 82 flights from 32 countries per day.

The new branch is Hertz UAE’s 18th outlet in the UAE, and is part of the company’s ongoing expansion strategy, with at least two more branches to be added to the network this year.

Nigel Johnson, managing director of Hertz UAE, said: “The new Hertz UAE location at Sharjah International Airport is a significant step in our strategic network expansion plan across the UAE, and is our 4th airport location.

“We have experienced significant growth in business in 2012, and are looking to build on this in 2013 by enhancing our presence, increasing our fleet size, and through refurbishing existing locations across the UAE.”

In addition to the Sharjah International Airport location, Hertz UAE has presence in Dubai’s Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 airports, and a branch at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Aviation market intelligence experts, the CAPA-Centre for Aviation estimated that as many as 80 million passengers would have passed through UAE airports in 2012 – 14 per cent more than in 2011. 

Passenger arrivals are expected to increase further in 2013, providing ample opportunity for the four Hertz UAE airport branches to cater to more passengers requiring car rentals.