Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
Saudi air traffic hits new record in 2024; passengers soar to 128m
Saudi air transport sector experienced remarkable growth in 2024 achieving unprecedented records in passenger numbers with over 128 million travellers passing through various airports across the kingdom, up 15% over the year before.
Saudi air transport sector experienced remarkable growth in 2024 achieving unprecedented records in passenger numbers with over 128 million travellers passing through various airports across the kingdom, up 15% over the year before.
The air transport sector in Saudi Arabia experienced remarkable growth in 2024, achieving unprecedented records in passenger numbers, with over 128 million travellers passing through various airports across the kingdom, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).
This marked a 15% growth over the year before and a 25% rise from pre-pandemic levels, confirming the recovery of the aviation sector from the impacts of Covid-19, stated GACA in its Air Traffic 2024 Report.
Of the total 128 million travellers, 59 million were on domestic flights and 69 million on international routes.
According to the British global travel data provider OAG, the Jeddah-Riyadh route saw the largest increase in capacity globally among domestic routes in 2024, while the Cairo-Jeddah route ranked as the second busiest international route worldwide.
During the period, the number of flights across Saudi airports increased by 11% compared to 2023, recording 905,000 flights: 474,000 domestic and 431,000 international.
The report also noted a 16% increase in air connectivity, with Saudi Arabia now linked to over 170 destinations worldwide.
The four main airports in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah accounted for 82% of the total air traffic.
According to GACA, the air cargo experienced exceptional growth as well, rising 34% to exceed 1.2 million tonnes in 2024, of which 1.17 million tonnes were handled by the three largest airports - King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh (573,000 tonnes, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah (461,000 tonne), and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam (140,000 tonne).
During the recent Hajj season, which extended from May 9 to July 21, air traffic recorded a notable increase, with 1.5 million pilgrims arriving in the kingdom, representing 40% of total international travellers during that period, it added.-TradeArabia News Service