JEDDAH – The achievement was revealed at the Air Connectivity Conference 2025 in Shanghai, where the Airports Council International Asia-Pacific and Middle East announced its yearly rankings. KAIA placed behind Dubai International Airport and Qatar’s Hamad International Airport in the regional standings.

This accomplishment highlights the airport’s expanding operational capabilities and supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives to position the Kingdom as a premier logistics and transportation hub. Under this strategic plan, Saudi Arabia targets serving 330 million passengers each year, linking to 250 global destinations, and managing 4.5 million tonnes of cargo by decade’s end.

According to Mazen Johar, CEO of Jeddah Airports Company, the recognition demonstrates sustained progress in broadening air networks and strengthening connectivity. He emphasized that the improved ranking stems from ongoing initiatives to enhance competitiveness, modernize facilities, and elevate the passenger journey in alignment with national transportation objectives.

The airport maintained its third-place position from 2023, when the index was unveiled at ACI’s annual gathering in Riyadh. As part of long-term development initiatives, upgrades aligned with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy aim to boost KAIA’s annual passenger capacity to 114 million by 2030.

In 2024, KAIA handled 49.1 million travelers—a 14 percent increase from the previous year—representing the highest annual passenger count for any Saudi airport. Peak traffic occurred on December 31, with over 174,600 passengers, while December established a monthly record exceeding 4.7 million passengers.

The Airport Connectivity Index, developed with PwC and now in its third edition, evaluates network scale, flight frequency, destination economic significance, and connection efficiency. Air connectivity across the Middle East grew 28 percent year-over-year, while Asia-Pacific experienced 13 percent growth, averaging 14 percent expansion across both regions—signaling robust post-pandemic recovery and sustained momentum in global air travel.

Original Article:

Arab News. (2025, November 3). Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah airport soars to top three in Middle East airport rankings. Retrieved from https://www.arabnews.com/node/2602607/business-economy