Saudi Arabia records significant growth in air travel, passenger numbers

Saudi civil aviation authorities have reported significant growth in the number of passengers and flights for the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year. There was a 17% increase in the number of passengers over the past six months, reaching approximately 62m passengers, compared to 53m passengers during the same period last year, while the number of flights rose to 446,000, marking a 12% increase over last year, which saw 399,000 flights, reported SPA, citing data from General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). Additionally, the airfreight volume in the first six months of 2024 witnessed a 41% increase, reaching 606,000 tons compared to the 430,000 tons in the same period of 2023, it stated. During the first half of this year, GACA launched several development projects, including the expansion of Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, the inauguration of the development and expansion of Al-Ahsa International Airport, the launch of the new additional international departure terminal at Taif International Airport, and the introduction of the self-driving air taxi experience for the first time during the Hajj season. Furthermore, the authority granted the first operating permit for building cleaning using drones, which illustrates its commitment to enabling safe and innovative advanced air mobility solutions. <br/>