Air transport movement in the Kingdom during the year 2023 witnessed an unprecedented record in terms of passengers, with nearly 112 million travelers passing through various airports across the Kingdom. This signifies a growth rate of 26% compared to the year 2022, and over 8% compared to the year 2019, confirming the air transport sector's recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation revealed in its air traffic performance report released today, that the number of flights throughout the Kingdom's airports during the year 2023 reached about 815,000 flights, marking a 16% increase compared to the year 2022.

The Kingdom experienced a record growth in terms of the number of travelers and international flights last year, with around 61 million travelers, and the number of flights exceeding 394,000. King Abdulaziz International Airport led the list of Saudi Arabia's major airports in terms of the number of flights, averaging 30 flights per hour, followed by King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with an average of 27 flights per hour, and King Fahd International Airport ranking third with an average of 11 flights per hour. The domestic flights in 2023 also saw a significant rise in the number of passengers and flights, with about 51 million travelers across more than 421,000 domestic flights from various airports in the Kingdom.

The Arab Republic of Egypt emerged as the top destination connected by air to the Kingdom in 2023 in terms of passenger numbers, with a total reaching approximately 10.5 million travelers, followed by the United Arab Emirates in the second position with a total of about 9.7 million travelers. Pakistan ranked third with around 5.3 million travelers, while India and Turkey also featured among the top destinations with approximately 4.7 million and 4 million travelers, respectively.

The volume of air cargo at Saudi airports in 2023 experienced a growth surpassing 7%, with a total reaching approximately 918,000 tons compared to 854,000 tons in 2022.

It is noted that the General Authority of Civil Aviation is the regulatory body for the air transport sector in the Kingdom, responsible for establishing the sector's regulatory guidelines, overseeing their implementation, and ensuring compliance with related entities. This contributes to enhancing the quality of air transport services and improving traveler experience. Operating in line with its strategy to shape the future of the sector, it aims to create a competitive and attractive investment environment, aspiring to lead in the Middle East and worldwide, and contribute to achieving its goals of doubling its capacity by the year 2030.