King Khalid Int’l Airport in Riyadh tops GACA rankings in Sept

Kingdom airports are evaluated based on 11 operational performance standards, aiming to improve services and enhance the traveller experience.

King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh secured the top spot among the list of Saudi Arabian airports for September this year, with a performance rate of 82 percent.

This came in a monthly report released by the Kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

Kingdom airports are evaluated based on 11 operational performance standards, aiming to improve services and enhance the traveller experience.

GACA categorizes airports, for performance evaluation, based on annual passenger numbers, ensuring a transparent approach, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

King Khalid International Airport leads in the category of international airports, handling over 15 million passengers per year. King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah achieved a compliance rate of 73 percent in the same category.

King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and Prince Mohammad bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Madinah have the highest compliance rates among international airports with five to 15 million passengers.

King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jizan and Abha International Airport have both achieved a perfect compliance rate of 100 percent, serving two to five million passengers.

Al Ahsa International Airport, with fewer than two million passengers, achieved a 100 percent compliance rate, leading in average waiting times for departure and arrival flights.

Gurayat Airport achieved the highest compliance rate in the domestic airport category, outperforming all competitors in terms of average waiting time for departing and arriving flights.

The Kingdom experienced a 17 percent increase in passenger air traffic in the first six months of 2023, reaching 62 million compared to 53 million in 2023.
Saudi Arabia’s National Aviation Strategy aims to improve air connectivity to 250 destinations, serve 330 million passengers, and double air cargo capacity to 4.5 million tons by 2030.