Air Connectivity Program: 60 new air routes link Saudi Arabia to new global destinations

The Air Connectivity Program, launched in 2021, has contributed to the growth of tourism in the Kingdom, by enhancing air connectivity between the Kingdom and countries around the world, through developing current and potential air routes, linking the Kingdom to new global destinations, and enhancing its position as a leading global tourist destination in the field of air tourism connectivity.

Majid Khan, CEO of the Air Connectivity Program, explained on the sidelines of the Routes World 2024 Exhibition and Conference yesterday in Bahrain, that the Kingdom’s geographical location helps it reach Europe, Asia or Africa within eight hours, and many international options and destinations for aviation industry makers in the world to reach the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Khan stated that since the establishment of the program, more than 60 new direct air routes have been created, noting that this year, from the beginning of January to October, the program was able to create 12 foreign airlines to operate direct air destinations to the Kingdom, knowing that the global average for foreign companies entering countries in the world in the aviation sector is from two to four companies, indicating that the Kingdom was able to attract many air carriers in addition to enhancing the growth of these destinations and welcoming more incoming tourism to the Kingdom. According to “SPA”. In turn, Deputy CEO of the Air Connectivity Program for Commercial Affairs Rashid Al-Shammari confirmed that the activities of the Routes World 2024 Exhibition and Conference are witnessing the presence of aviation leaders in the world to review and discuss the operation and enhance the growth of current air routes in the world, noting that the role of the Air Connectivity Program for Commercial Affairs and its participation in the conference comes to introduce the unique tourist destinations in the Kingdom, including the Red Sea destination, Al-Ula, Riyadh and Diriyah, to explore destinations registered with UNESCO. He explained that during the launch of the Routes World Exhibition and Conference, the program was able to hold more than 100 scheduled meetings with aviation industry players in the world to negotiate and discuss creating new air destinations, enhancing current air destinations, and developing direct air destinations for the Kingdom to reach more than 250 direct air destinations and welcome more than 150 million tourists to the Kingdom by 2030.

For his part, the CEO of the Second Airports Cluster Company, Eng. Ali bin Mohammed Masrahi, explained that the company manages and operates 22 regional and international airports in the north, south, center and west of the Kingdom, including Abha, Taif, Tabuk, Arar, Jazan and Al-Baha airports.

He stated that the Second Airports Cluster Company recorded growth in the number of flights and passengers last year by a rate ranging from 15 to 18%, while the third quarter of last year recorded growth in the number of flights by 15% and the number of passengers increased by 12%.

The theatrical engineer added that a hall at Qassim Airport was opened with a capacity of 700,000 passengers, a hall at Taif International Airport with a capacity of 500,000 passengers, and Abha Airport was expanded with a capacity of 300,000 passengers, indicating that there is a new airport in Jazan with a capacity of 3 million and 600 thousand passengers, a new airport in Al-Baha with a capacity of 1 million and 600 thousand passengers, and a new airport in Al-Jawf with a capacity of 1 million and 600 passengers. These expansions will help increase the number of passengers and flights, and we seek to open new airports next year (Jazan Airport, Al-Jawf Airport, and Al-Baha Airport), noting that many airports are being studied that will be established after verifying the economic feasibility and community service for the residents of the region and the Kingdom in general.