Saudi Arabia’s airports soared to new heights in 2024, recording over 128 million passengers across the Kingdom.
This 15% year-on-year increase highlights the country’s bold ambition to become a global aviation hub.
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released the 2024 Air Transport Bulletin, showcasing the sharp rise in travel.
International traffic hit 69 million passengers, up 14%, while domestic travel surged 16% to reach 59 million.
Clearly, the Saudi aviation growth 2024 is the result of focused strategy and massive investment.
Both the National Aviation Strategy and the Air Connectivity Program continue to transform the sector.
Moreover, the Kingdom now aims to connect to 250 destinations globally via 29 airports by 2030.
It also targets 330 million annual passengers and 4.5 million tons of air freight.
Thanks to the Air Connectivity Program, Saudi Arabia added 12 new international airlines and 60 new flight routes.
This includes direct links to 18 new cities, expanding global access.
In 2024, major infrastructure upgrades drove the Saudi aviation growth 2024 even further.
Al-Ahsa International Airport expanded, and Taif International Airport launched a new terminal.
King Abdulaziz International Airport (Jeddah) remained the busiest hub, serving 49 million passengers, up 14%.
King Khalid International (Riyadh) followed with 37.6 million passengers, up 18%.
King Fahd International (Dammam) recorded 12.8 million, a 15% rise from last year.
Meanwhile, total passenger capacity reached 126 million, with Jeddah leading at 50 million and Riyadh at 39 million.
Jeddah operated at 98% capacity, while Riyadh hit 96%.
When it comes to routes, Jeddah offered 369 international routes, a 1% increase over last year.
Medina’s Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport had 272 routes, up 5%.
Riyadh dropped 6% to 165 routes, and Dammam decreased 8% to 85 routes.
Each day, Saudi airports handled 189,000 international passengers and 162,000 domestic travelers.
Domestic flights rose 12% to 474,000, while international flights grew 10% to 431,000.
Unsurprisingly, Saudi aviation growth 2024 also included record-breaking flight operations.
Jeddah led with 290,000 flights, followed by Riyadh with 274,000 and Dammam with 105,000.
Ultimately, the Saudi aviation growth 2024 reflects a sky-high vision grounded in global ambition and rapid results.
