King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh witnessed a growth in the number of passengers, as the number of passengers reached 7.3 million in the first quarter of 2023, registering a growth of 11% compared to the number of passengers in the first quarter of 2019, when it reached 6.6 million passengers, and this growth coincided with In the number of commercial flights, which amounted to 49 thousand flights for this quarter of the year, with a growth of 6% compared to 46 thousand flights in the first quarter of 2019, this was stated in the report of the Riyadh Airports Company for the first quarter of this year.
And according to what was announced by Riyadh Airports, the company responsible for managing and operating King Khalid International Airport, the number of passengers for domestic destinations increased by 2% compared to 2019, and the percentage of passengers for international destinations increased by 24%, bringing the number of passengers to 3.4 million passengers, and this is a number Record compared to 2019, which is a standard year, being the year before the pandemic, from which it was recovered in record time.
In the same context, the average number of daily passengers through King Khalid International Airport exceeded 81 thousand passengers during the first quarter of this year, compared to 77 thousand passengers in the first quarter of 2019. The average number of daily flights reached 550, an increase of 6% compared to the average number of flights. flights, which reached 517 for the same period in 2019, as seven in the evening is the rush hour at the airport seven days a week.
The number of manpower working at King Khalid International Airport from all sides in all facilities and sectors of the airport has reached more than 25 thousand, and the number of airlines operating at the airport during the first quarter of this year reached 50 airlines (47 commercial airlines and 3 air cargo companies). ) compared to 34 companies for the same period in 2019, an increase of 47%. The number of destinations to and from King Khalid International Airport in general increased during this quarter by 9.3% to reach 82 destinations, including 24 local destinations and 58 international destinations, compared to 75 destinations for the period The same period of 2019. The total number of tons handled increased by 37% to reach 71 thousand tons, compared to 52 thousand tons for the same period in 2019.
For his part, Chief Executive Officer of Riyadh Airports Musaed bin Abdulaziz Al-Daoud explained that these record results reflect the strength of the Saudi economy and the status of King Khalid International Airport at the regional and international levels in supporting the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and the National Aviation Strategy led by the Ministry of Transport and Logistics and the General Authority of Aviation, which enjoys the support There is no limit to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – may God protect them.
This growth in results comes in line with the national aviation strategy aimed at strengthening the air transport sector in the Kingdom, developing airport infrastructure, improving the level of services provided to travelers, and strengthening the Kingdom’s role in global air transport. The upcoming summer season, in addition to the continued launch of more new tourist destinations that the airport will soon witness, with an absolute focus on improving the travel experience in all its aspects.
It is noteworthy that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had recently witnessed many important qualitative developments at all levels, especially the facilities and services, in all the points that travelers pass through compared to previous years. The most prominent achievements of the airport in the first quarter of this year were its advancement to 27th place in the recently announced Skytrax list of the 100 best airports around the world for the year 2023, in addition to winning the award for the best international airport in the Kingdom for airports with more than 15 million passengers, and the award for the best A security inspection area from the Civil Aviation Authority within the comprehensive evaluation program for the quality of airport services. The airport also received the Level 2 Customer Experience Accreditation Certificate from Airports Council International (ACI), confirming all of this continuous and comprehensive commitment to improving the passenger experience and providing a better experience.
Okaz (Riyadh)
