Saudi Arabia Achieves Record Air Traffic With Over 128 Million Passengers In 2024

The aviation industry in Saudi Arabia saw significant growth in 2024, breaking records in passenger traffic. Over 128 million passengers travelled through the kingdom's airports, with 59 million on domestic flights and 69 million on international ones. This represents a 15% rise from 2023 and a 25% increase from pre-pandemic figures, highlighting the sector's recovery from COVID-19 impacts.

During the Hajj season, which ran from May 9 to July 21, air traffic surged with 1.5 million pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia. This accounted for 40% of all international travellers during that period. The four main airports—Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah—handled 82% of the total air traffic.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) released the Air Traffic 2024 Report, noting an 11% increase in flights compared to the previous year. A total of 905,000 flights were recorded: 474,000 domestic and 431,000 international. Additionally, air connectivity improved by 16%, linking Saudi Arabia to over 170 global destinations.

Air cargo also saw remarkable growth, increasing by 34% to surpass 1.2 million tons in 2024. The three largest airports handled most of this cargo: King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh managed 573,000 tons; King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah processed 461,000 tons; and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam dealt with 140,000 tons.

The British travel data provider OAG reported that the Jeddah-Riyadh route experienced the highest capacity increase globally among domestic routes in 2024. Meanwhile, the Cairo-Jeddah route was ranked as the second busiest international route worldwide.

This impressive growth underscores Saudi Arabia's strategic position as a major hub for both passenger travel and cargo transport. The kingdom's efforts to enhance its aviation infrastructure have clearly paid off, positioning it as a key player in global air travel.

With inputs from SPA