Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) had received a total of 1029 complaints from passengers related to airlines during the last month of October. Most common complaints were pertaining to baggage services and that was followed by complaints related to tickets, and then flights. This information was contained in the Air Transport Service Providers and Airports Rating Index issued by GACA.

According to the index, Flyadeal is the airline with the least complaints. There were only 11 complaints per 100,000 passengers carried by Flyadeal, and the airline’s complaint handling rate stood at 99 percent in October. Flyadeal, a sister company of Saudia Airlines, is Saudi Arabia's newest low fare airline.

Saudi Airlines has 12 complaints per 100,000 passengers, with a complaint handling rate of 99 percent while Flynas has 12 complaints per 100,000 passengers, with a complaint handling rate of 100 percent.

The authority indicated that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh received the least complaints among the airports in terms of complaints submitted to the GACA, with 0.4 percent per 100,000 passengers, in the index for international airports with more than 6 million passengers annually. A total of 12 complaints were recorded while the complaint handling rate stood at 100 percent within the specific period of time.

Prince Naif International Airport in Buraidah also included in the lowest number of complaints submitted to the GACA, in the index for international airports with less than 6 million passengers annually. The rate of complaints at this port accounted for two percent per 100,000 passengers, with two complaints, and a timely resolution rate of complaints reaching 100 percent. In the index for domestic airports, Bisha Airport was the airport with the lowest number of complaints submitted to the authority, at a rate of 3 percent per 100,000 passengers, with one complaint, and a timely resolution rate of complaints reaching 100 percent.

The GACA stated that issuing the monthly report on the classification index of air transport service providers and airports, in terms of complaints submitted to the authority, aims to provide information to travelers about the performance of air transport service providers and airports in resolving their customers' complaints, so that travelers can choose the appropriate service provider. This is in addition to enhancing transparency and demonstrating the authority's credibility, its keenness on travelers' complaints, and stimulating fair competition between air transport service providers and airports to develop and improve their services.