Saudi Arabia to Assess Feasibility of Low-Cost Airports in Riyadh
In a move prompted by the Kingdom’s Shoura Council, Saudi Arabia is gearing up to evaluate the possibility of establishing budget-friendly airports in the vicinity of Riyadh.
The Consultative Assembly has urged the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to take the lead in constructing and managing these proposed airports, or alternatively, to hand them over to the private sector through a build-operate-transfer model.
Furthermore, the council has recommended that GACA join forces with national airlines to ramp up domestic flights and broaden their range of destinations to bolster transportation and tourism services.
These initiatives are in line with Saudi Arabia’s objectives in the aviation sector, which include boosting passenger numbers and expanding flight routes. They also align with GACA’s vision of positioning Saudi Arabia as a leader in aviation by providing customer-centric and digitally-enabled regulatory services.
The council has also stressed the importance of GACA meeting the annual target for air freight as outlined in the National Transport and Logistics Strategy.
Recognizing Excellence at King Khalid International Airport
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has recently been acknowledged as one of the top three performing terminals in Saudi Arabia, according to official statistics released earlier this week.
In its April report, GACA revealed that the airport stood out in the international terminal category, serving over 15 million passengers annually and achieving an impressive 82 percent compliance rate with the authority’s standards.
This evaluation, based on 11 key criteria, aims to elevate service quality and enrich the overall passenger experience at the airport.
Ambitious Goals Set for Saudi Arabia’s Aviation Sector
During an interview with Arab News at the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh, Abdulaziz Al-Dahmash, Vice President of GACA for Quality and Traveler Experience, highlighted the Kingdom’s ambitious targets in the aviation industry.
These targets include tripling the number of passengers compared to 2019, handling 4.5 million tonnes of cargo, and establishing more than 250 direct flight routes from Saudi airports to destinations worldwide.
Al-Dahmash emphasized the importance of passenger experience as a key pillar in achieving these goals, stating that the passenger always comes first. GACA has implemented various programs from a regulatory standpoint to enhance the overall travel experience for passengers.