Saudi Arabia’s air transport sector experienced remarkable growth in 2024, achieving unprecedented records in passenger numbers.
More than 128m travellers passed through various airports across the kingdom, with 59m on domestic flights and 69m on international routes.
This marks a 15 per cent increase compared to 2023 and a 25 per cent rise from pre-pandemic levels, confirming the recovery of the aviation sector from the impacts of COVID-19.
Saudi air traffic data
The Air Traffic 2024 Report released by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) noted that the number of flights across Saudi airports increased by 11 per cent compared to 2023, recording 905,000 flights:
- 474,000 domestic
- 431,000 international
The report also noted a 16 per cent increase in air connectivity, with Saudi Arabia now linked to more than 170 destinations worldwide.
Air cargo experienced exceptional growth as well, rising 34 per cent to exceed 1.2m tons in 2024, of which 1.17m tons were handled by the three largest airports: King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh (573,000 tons), King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah (461,000 tons), and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam (140,000 tons).
The four main airports in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah accounted for 82 per cent of the total air traffic.
During the recent Hajj season, which extended from May 9 to July 21, air traffic recorded a notable increase, with 1.5m pilgrims arriving in the kingdom, representing 40 per cent of total international travellers during that period.
According to the British global travel data provider OAG, the Jeddah-Riyadh route saw the largest increase in capacity globally among domestic routes in 2024, while the Cairo-Jeddah route ranked as the second busiest international route worldwide.
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