KSA Sees 17% Rise in Air Traffic Passengers in H1 2024

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has reported a remarkable surge in air traffic for the first half (H1) of 2024. From January to June, passenger numbers soared by 17%, reaching an unprecedented 62 million. The number of flights also saw a significant increase, rising by 12% to 446,000, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. This growth is attributed to the ongoing implementation of the Saudi Aviation Strategy.^[1]  

Low-cost carriers were the primary drivers of this growth, with a 38% leap in international routes and a 22% increase in domestic routes. Air cargo operations also experienced a historic boost, with a 41% climb, transporting 606,000 tons of cargo. Additionally, Saudi Arabia expanded its air connectivity to 163 destinations, marking a 23%growth compared to 2023.

These figures were revealed at the 13th Saudi Aviation Strategy Steering Committee meeting in Aseer Province near Abha.

The kingdom’s National Aviation Strategy aims to mobilize $100 billion from the public and private sectors by 2030 to make Saudi Arabia the hub for the leading aviation sector in the region. The strategy will support the transport of 330 million passengers across more than 250 destinations and 45 million tons of air cargo by 2030.

In May, OAG reported that Saudi Arabia saw substantial airline capacity growth over the past year, with seats increasing 9.9% from last year, from about 5.78 million in May 2023 to 6.36 million in May 2024.

Saudi’s ambitions to become the largest aviation hub in the region rival only the UAE’s, which is currently the region’s top aviation market in terms of airline capacity, boasting 7.25 million seats as of May. 

According to OAG, the Middle East has an airline capacity of around 22.25 million seats, up by 6.76% year-on-year (YoY). As of May 2024, international travel dominated flights, with 17.93 million international seats compared to 4.32 million domestic ones.