The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has announced new milestones in Saudi Arabia’s global connectivity performance, which has seen a continuous increase in passenger numbers and air connectivity.
103.1 million passengers
travelled via Saudi airports, while total flight movements reached 713,000 during the January to September period of this year,
marking an increase of 9% and 5%, respectively.
The Kingdom’s
connectivity has now expanded across more than 170 destinations, reinforcing
the sector’s role in enabling Vision 2030 and the National Transport and
Logistics Strategy (NTLS), it said.
The figures were
announced, during the 18th Aviation Programme Steering Committee (SteerCo), chaired by the
GACA President, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej.
Ahmed Al-Hassan, the
Assistant Minister of Transport and Logistics, also attended the 18th meeting,
organised
by Saudia Cargo CEO Loay Mashabi.
Between January and
September, Saudi airports handled 866,000 tonnes of air cargo, including 567,000 tons of
origin-and-destination freight and 299,000 tonnes of transit cargo.
Saudia Cargo’s global
network was widened through partnerships with TAM Group, WFS,
Cainiao, China Cargo Airlines, and FedEx.
Meanwhile, with a record tally of
175 votes out of 184, the Kingdom’s re-election to the International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council for the 2026–2028 term represents the
strong progression made in the industry, it said.
It reflects the global
aviation community’s confidence in Saudi Arabia’s leadership, robust safety
record, and its proactive role in shaping the future of sustainable and secure
air transport.
Al-Duailej, said:
“Saudi aviation is delivering sustained passenger and connectivity growth in
support of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 agenda, providing unprecedented investment
opportunities for the global aviation sector. The recent ICAO Council re-lection
result reflects the constructive global leadership role Saudi Arabia is playing
in aviation, strengthening international partnerships to deliver greater global
connectivity and economic prosperity.”
The 18th SteerCo
meeting also reviewed the significant progress made by Saudi Aviation in
charter and private aviation, with VistaJet becoming the first international
private operator to be granted authorisation to conduct domestic flights in the
Kingdom.
Special Economic Zones
(SEZs), designed to accelerate air logistics, have also seen significant
progression.
The Riyadh Integrated
Logistics Zone (SILZ) now hosts some of the most prominent tenants across
numerous sectors, including Apple, SHEIN, Lenovo, Bahri, Chalhoub Group,
Sapphire, and iHerb. -TradeArabia News Service