RIYADH — King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh witnessed the passage of 7.3 million passengers during the second quarter of 2023, compared to 7.1 million passengers during the same period in 2019. The average daily number of passengers increased to more than 80,000 passengers during the second quarter of this year against 78,000 passengers in the second quarter of 2019. This information was contained in the operational performance report of the Riyadh Airports Company for the second quarter of this year. According to the report, the number of flights posted an increase of six percent, reaching more than 51,000 flights compared to the second quarter of 2019, when the number of flights reached 48,000, bringing the average number of daily flights to 562 flights in the second quarter of this year compared to 531 flights during the same period in 2023. As for travel destinations to and from King Khalid International Airport, it registered an increase of 4.6 percent during this quarter reaching 90 destinations, including 24 domestic destinations and 66 international destinations, compared to 86 destinations for the same period in 2019. The report indicated that the number of new destinations that were launched during the second quarter of this year reached eight destinations, indicating that the most operated local destinations during this quarter were: Jeddah, Abha, Madinah, Dammam, and Jazan, while the most operated international destinations included Dubai, Cairo, Amman, and Doha. The report pointed out that commercial airlines providing transportation and freight services recorded an increase of 30 percent to reach 51 companies, compared to 39 companies in the same period in 2019, and that the cargo sector at the airport witnessed a growth of 43 percent, bringing the total number of tons handled to 83,000 tons, compared to 58,000 tons in the same period in 2019. Meanwhile, Musad Abdulaziz Aldaood, CEO of Riyadh Airports Company, said that the continued growth of the Riyadh airport reflects the extent of the prestige that Riyadh enjoys at the regional and international levels. He underlined the need to harness all human, logistical and technical capabilities to accommodate the growing number of passengers during the seasonal peak periods.
