Saudi Arabia has witnessed remarkable growth in its air traffic during the first half of 2024, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The Kingdom has reported a significant growth in passenger traffic, flights, air cargo, and connectivity.
Saudi Arabia saw a record-breaking 62 million travelers in H1 2024 surpassing pre-pandemic highs and setting new milestones for air travel in the Kingdom.
Overall, passenger numbers grew 17% while flight activity also saw a 12% increase, with a total of 446,000 flights recorded in the first half of the year.
Notably, low-cost carriers were a key driver of this growth, with a 38% increase on international routes and a 22% increase in domestic routes.
Other aspects of air travel in KSA saw tremendous progress in H1 2024 as well with air cargo transportation growing 41% while cargo volume reached 606,000 tons compared to the 430,000 tons in the same period of 2023.
As reported in Air Traffic Management, GACA President H.E. Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Duailej said, “The Kingdom’s continued growth in air traffic performance is a testament to the strategic vision reflected in the Saudi Aviation Strategy, positioning the Kingdom to lead in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is now more connected to the world than ever before, delivering record numbers of passengers, flights, air cargo and connectivity during the first half of 2024.”
The figures were announced at the 13th Saudi Aviation Strategy Steering Committee meeting, held in the Aseer Province near Abha. Al-Duailej added that, “Saudi Arabia is creating unprecedented opportunities for global aviation and the private sector. The Aseer region is a shining example of aviation’s role in enabling tourism and economic growth across the Kingdom, with more than 100 companies bidding to participate in the Abha Airport Public-Private Partnership project to expand capacity from 1.5 million to 13 million passengers.”
On its website GACA also reported that:
“The aviation sector saw several achievements in the past six months, including 16 Saudi airports obtaining the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) accreditation for 2024. Additionally, Saudi airports continued their progress in ranking among the top 50 airports worldwide, as announced in the evaluation results of the international air transport rating organization Skytrax. Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah won the first-place award as the best regional airport in the Middle East during the Skytrax World Airport Awards ceremony held in Frankfurt, Germany, and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah achieved the highest ratings on the Airports Council International list for 2023. Moreover, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam won three of the Saudi Airports Awards for 2023, including the award for the best airport in the category 5-15 million passengers, the award for the best customs inspection area, and the award for the best services for people with disabilities.”
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