Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi airports handled a record 128 million travelers in 2024, marking a 15 percent increase from the previous year and a 25 percent rise compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to the Air Traffic 2024 Report released by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

The report highlighted the continued recovery and growth of the aviation sector, with 59 million passengers traveling on domestic flights and 69 million on international routes.

The number of flights operating through Saudi airports rose by 11 percent compared to 2023, reaching a total of 905,000 flights, including 474,000 domestic and 431,000 international flights.

Air connectivity also expanded by 16 percent, with the Kingdom now linked to more than 170 destinations worldwide.

Air cargo operations experienced significant growth, increasing by 34 percent to surpass 1.2 million tons in 2024.

The majority of this cargo, totaling 1.17 million tons, was handled by the Kingdom’s three largest airports: King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh processed 573,000 tons, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah managed 461,000 tons, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam handled 140,000 tons. The four main airports in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah accounted for 82 percent of total air traffic.

During the Hajj season, which extended from May 9 to July 21, air traffic saw a notable surge, with 1.5 million pilgrims arriving in the Kingdom. This figure represented 40 percent of all international travelers during that period.

According to the British global travel data provider OAG, the Jeddah-Riyadh route recorded the largest increase in capacity globally among domestic routes in 2024, while the Cairo-Jeddah route ranked as the second busiest international route worldwide.