Passenger traffic at Saudi airports rises to 128M in 2024: GACA

Logo of The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said that passenger traffic at the Kingdom's airports witnessed exceptional growth during 2024, reaching an unprecedented record of more than 128 million passengers.

The number of passengers on domestic and international flights reached 59 million and 69 million, respectively, according to the authority.

In its air traffic performance report issued Thursday, GACA said that the passenger traffic achieved a growth rate of 15% year-on-year, and about 25% compared to pre-COVID levels.

Meanwhile, the number of flights at the Kingdom's airports during 2024 reached about 905,000, up 11% YoY, including 474,000 domestic flights and 431,000 international flights.

Additionally, air connectivity expanded by 20%, with Saudi Arabia now linked to over 170 destinations worldwide.

GACA highlighted that air cargo also recorded exceptional growth of 34%, reaching more than 1.2 million tons in 2024. Of this, 1.17 million tons were handled by the Kingdom’s three largest airports, with King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh processing 573,000 tons, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah handling 461,000 tons, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam managing 140,000 tons.

The authority noted that Saudi Arabia’s four major airports in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Medinah accounted for 82% of total air traffic.

During the Hajj season, from May 9 to July 21, air traffic saw a significant surge, with 1.5 million pilgrims arriving in the Kingdom, representing 40% of all international arrivals during this period.

The busiest international route by passenger volume was Jeddah–Cairo, with 4.4 million passengers, followed by Riyadh–Dubai with 3.2 million passengers and Riyadh–Cairo with 2.7 million passengers.

According to a report by UK-based aviation data firm OAG, the Jeddah–Riyadh route recorded the world’s highest increase in seat capacity among domestic routes in 2024, while Cairo–Jeddah ranked as the second busiest international route globally.

Key Statistics of Civil Aviation during 2024