In 2024, King Abdulaziz International Airport in the Saudi port city of Jeddah handled 49.1 million passengers, a 14% increase over the year before.
According to a statement from Jeddah Airports Co, this accomplishment represents a “historic milestone,” since in 2024, KAIA managed the largest annual operational figure in the Kingdom’s airport history.
On December 31, 2024, the airport handled over 174,600 passengers, making it the busiest day ever. With more than 4.7 million passengers, the month also became the busiest month in the airport’s history.
According to Saudi Arabia’s National Tourism Strategy, the country wants to welcome 150 million tourists by 2030 and boost the tourism industry’s share of the GDP from 6% to 10%.
Additionally, KAIA recorded a notable increase in total flights in 2024, surpassing 278,000, an increase of 11% over 2023. The news release also noted that KAIA’s operational throughput increased by 21% in 2024, handling 47.1 million bags.
The KAIA’s rapid operational expansion, made possible by the Kingdom’s leadership and the careful supervision of the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, is what Mazen Johar, CEO of Jeddah Airports, credited with this increase in numbers.
According to recent data from the independent aviation tracking site Cirium, Saudia, the national airline of the Kingdom, has topped the list of international airlines in terms of departure on-time performance, with a punctuality rating of 88.82% in 2024.
With a rate of 86.35%, Saudi Arabia also placed second in the world for on-time arrival performance, according to a press release. The airline has successfully operated 192,560 flights over the last 12 months, covering more than 100 destinations on four continents.
The director general of Saudia Group, Ibrahim Al-Omar, stated, “We are proud to maintain excellence in global operational performance, which aligns with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and the National Aviation Sector Strategy.”
He went on to say, “This accomplishment shows the integrated role that different sectors play in guaranteeing operational efficiency and reflects the combined efforts of Saudia Group employees across all business units.” These initiatives directly contribute to enhancing and strengthening the visitor experience.
With a fleet of 144 aircraft, Saudia connects more than 100 destinations on four continents with the Kingdom via more than 530 daily flights.
The airline also stated in the statement that it intends to add 130 additional aircraft to its fleet over the next several years, boosting the number of flights and seat capacity to current destinations while also adding new ones to its network.