Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), has convened with industry leaders to review the Saudi Aviation Strategy’s milestones and achievements throughout 2023; including the highest-ever year of passenger traffic in Saudi Arabia’s history.
At the 11th quarterly Aviation Strategy Steering Committee (hosted by Saudia Technic in Jeddah) the Kingdom’s Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, His Excellency Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, described the aviation sector as “making a significant contribution to the Kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy”. He added that Saudi Arabia has been “achieving the highest increase in connectivity out of any country and outperforming global aviation rates”.
101 million passengers were carried in Saudi Arabia during 2023 as of November, surpassing 2019’s record of 99 million. “This transformation is being led through the Saudi Aviation Strategy, targeting 330 million passengers, connectivity with 250 destinations, and a cargo capacity of 4.5 million tons by 2030,” highlighted GACA president Al Duailej.
This ambitious growth is also supported by the 2023 launch of Riyadh’s King Salam International Airport masterplan, the Abha International Airport masterplan, and the opening of Red Sea International Airport. GACA also granted startup carrier Riyadh Air a commercial license in June 2023, with the airline’s provisional 72 787s on order part of more than 150 aircraft ordered by national carriers.
“The achievements are a testament to the work of the entire aviation sector and to the alignment achieved through the steering committee,” concluded Al Duailej.