RIYADH,12 july: The Kingdom has recorded a 17 percent rise in passenger air traffic over the first six months of 2024, to 62 million compared to 53 million in the same period last year, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.
There were 446,000 flights, marking a 12 percent increase compared to 399,000 flights during the first six months of 2023, the report said, citing statistics released by the General Authority of Civil Aviation.
Airfreight volume also went up, hitting 606,000 tonnes in the first six months of 2024, a 41 percent jump from 430,000 tonnes in the same period last year, GACA reported.
The Kingdom’s aviation sector has developed considerably over the past six months, including 16 Saudi Arabia airports obtaining the Airports Council International Airport Service Quality accreditation for 2024, the report also said.
Saudi Arabia’s airports are now ranked in the top 50 worldwide, it said, citing the evaluation results announced by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organization.
Three of the Kingdom’s international airports won awards from ratings agencies last year.
