Saudi Airport Passenger Traffic Surges 9.6% in 2025
Kingdom's aviation sector sees robust growth amid global challenges and expanding connectivity.
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's airports reported a significant surge in passenger traffic, reaching 140.9 million in 2025, marking a 9.6 percent increase year-over-year, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).
This growth underscores the Kingdom's efforts to become a global aviation and tourism hub under its Vision 2030 plans.
The rise in international passengers, accounting for 75.8 million of the total, reflects a 9.4 percent increase, while domestic travelers reached 65.1 million, showing a 9.8 percent growth.
The robust figures come amid regional disruptions caused by the Iran conflict and airspace closures affecting parts of the Middle East.
Despite these challenges, Saudi airports managed over 12.1 million passengers during Ramadan and Shawwal, between February 18 and March 28.
King Abdulaziz International Airport topped the list with 53.5 million passengers, a 9 percent increase from 2024, followed by King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with 40.8 million passengers (up 8.7 percent) and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam with 13.7 million passengers (a 7 percent rise).
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) President, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, highlighted the resilience of Saudi Arabia's aviation sector, achieving smooth air traffic flow despite operational challenges.
The Kingdom accommodated over 2,000 flights from neighboring countries' carriers between February 28 and May 3, transporting more than 258,000 passengers.
GASTAT reported that daily passenger throughput in 2025 averaged around 178,600 domestic and 207,700 international travelers, resulting from 979,800 total arriving and departing flights, an 8.3 percent increase over the previous year.
The number of domestic flights increased by 6.8 percent to 506,300, while international flights rose by 9.9 percent to 473,500.
King Abdulaziz International Airport handled the most flights at 314,400, followed by King Khalid International Airport with 296,800 and King Fahd International Airport with 108,500.
The average daily domestic flights were 1,387 compared to 1,297 for international flights.
In 2025, the commercial and general aviation fleet expanded significantly by 33.8 percent to 483 aircraft.
Air cargo volume reached 1.18 million tonnes, dominated by inbound cargo at 695,600 tonnes, followed by transit cargo at 420,100 tonnes and outbound cargo at 69,700 tonnes.
The Kingdom's international airports connected with 66 countries in 2025, a 1.5 percent increase from 2024, serving 176 destinations worldwide, reflecting a 2.3 percent annual growth.
Saudia topped the airlines' utilization of Saudi airspace at 25.5 percent, followed by flynas at 13.3 percent and flyadeal at 8.6 percent.
Saudi Arabia's ranking improved to 18th globally in the Global Air Connectivity Index 2025 compared to 17th place in 2024.
This growth underscores the Kingdom's efforts to become a global aviation and tourism hub under its Vision 2030 plans.
The rise in international passengers, accounting for 75.8 million of the total, reflects a 9.4 percent increase, while domestic travelers reached 65.1 million, showing a 9.8 percent growth.
The robust figures come amid regional disruptions caused by the Iran conflict and airspace closures affecting parts of the Middle East.
Despite these challenges, Saudi airports managed over 12.1 million passengers during Ramadan and Shawwal, between February 18 and March 28.
King Abdulaziz International Airport topped the list with 53.5 million passengers, a 9 percent increase from 2024, followed by King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with 40.8 million passengers (up 8.7 percent) and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam with 13.7 million passengers (a 7 percent rise).
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) President, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, highlighted the resilience of Saudi Arabia's aviation sector, achieving smooth air traffic flow despite operational challenges.
The Kingdom accommodated over 2,000 flights from neighboring countries' carriers between February 28 and May 3, transporting more than 258,000 passengers.
GASTAT reported that daily passenger throughput in 2025 averaged around 178,600 domestic and 207,700 international travelers, resulting from 979,800 total arriving and departing flights, an 8.3 percent increase over the previous year.
The number of domestic flights increased by 6.8 percent to 506,300, while international flights rose by 9.9 percent to 473,500.
King Abdulaziz International Airport handled the most flights at 314,400, followed by King Khalid International Airport with 296,800 and King Fahd International Airport with 108,500.
The average daily domestic flights were 1,387 compared to 1,297 for international flights.
In 2025, the commercial and general aviation fleet expanded significantly by 33.8 percent to 483 aircraft.
Air cargo volume reached 1.18 million tonnes, dominated by inbound cargo at 695,600 tonnes, followed by transit cargo at 420,100 tonnes and outbound cargo at 69,700 tonnes.
The Kingdom's international airports connected with 66 countries in 2025, a 1.5 percent increase from 2024, serving 176 destinations worldwide, reflecting a 2.3 percent annual growth.
Saudia topped the airlines' utilization of Saudi airspace at 25.5 percent, followed by flynas at 13.3 percent and flyadeal at 8.6 percent.
Saudi Arabia's ranking improved to 18th globally in the Global Air Connectivity Index 2025 compared to 17th place in 2024.
