Saudi Arabia passengers at record 62 million in first half of year

Saudi Arabia saw a record number of passengers in the first half of year. The country's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) reported 62 million passengers in the period, up 17% over the same period last year. In addition, flights were up 12% over the first half of 2023. ""Saudi Arabia is creating unprecedented opportunities for global aviation and the private sector,"" said GACA president Abdulaziz Al-Duailej. ""The Aseer region is a shining example of aviation’s role in enabling tourism and economic growth across the Kingdom, with more than 100 companies bidding to participate in the Abha airport public-private partnership project to expand capacity from 1.5 million to 13 million passengers."" The growth was driven by low-cost carriers, recording a 38% growth on international routes and 22% growth on domestic routes. The country's network expanded to over 163 destinations, a 23% increase on 2023. Air cargo also grew 41% to 606,000 tonnes.