The General Authority of Civil Aviation in Saudi Arabia recently released its April assessment showcasing the operational efficiency and service quality of the nation’s airports. This report evaluates the airports on a scale comprising 11 distinct operational benchmarks that resonate with the strategic goals of elevating service standards and ensuring a smooth experience for travelers traversing the Kingdom’s air gates.
Several airports stood out in the evaluation, with King Khalid International Airport, King Fahd International Airport, Abha International Airport, Qaisumah Airport, and Arar Airport achieving high scores.
For a fair and transparent assessment, GACA organizes airports into categories based on the volume of annual passenger traffic. In the higher echelon of airports handling over 15 million passengers annually, King Khalid International Airport garnered the highest ranking with an impressive 82% compliance rate, closely followed by King Abdulaziz International Airport also at 82%.
Competing in the international category for 5 to 15 million passengers per year, King Fahd International Airport shared the top position with Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport, both achieving a 91% compliance rate. However, King Fahd edged out its counterpart by reaching a higher percentage in meeting the established standards.
Within the 2 to 5 million passenger segment, Abha International Airport and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Airport each showcased perfect compliance scores of 100%. Abha International went a step further, exceeding more ambitious targets within the set evaluation criteria.
For airports with less than 2 million passengers annually, Qaisumah International Airport excelled with a 100% compliance rate, distinguishing itself with shorter average wait times at passport control for both departures and arrivals.
In terms of domestic airports, Arar Airport took the lead with a flawless compliance score of 100%, surpassing its competitors in average wait times for both departing and arriving flights.
The performance evaluation by GACA emphasizes operational aspects critical to passenger interaction, such as check-in, security, passport control, customs, baggage claim, and support for passengers with reduced mobility (PRM). These indicators are essential for a frictionless and efficient journey, upholding international standards of travel excellence.