meet saudiarabia AVIATION
Opening up the skies
Te development of Saudi Arabia’s aviation industry is paving the way for easy and affordable access to key destinations in the kingdom
An influx of international travellers has prompted multi-billion-dollar invest- ments into Saudi Arabia’s aviation industry. According to statistics released by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), interna- tional passenger traffic reached a 10-year high of 13.6 percent to over 54 million in 2011, spurred by visitors’ increased confi- dence in the kingdom’s travel market. GACA reportedly plans to invest SAR37.5-
SAR75 billion (US$10-20 billion) in developing and upgrading the country’s airports by 2020, with private investors set to contribute another SAR37.5 billion (US$10 billion). The commitment to developing air transport
facilities is because aviation forms a critical component of Saudi’s efforts to diversify its economy. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), aviation supports 1.8 percent of Saudi Arabia’s GDP, equal to SAR30.2 billion (US$8 billion) annually. “Saudi Arabia’s 27 airports handle over 54
million passengers annually and the numbers are growing at double-digit pace. The aviation investments made in the Gulf region in recent
years show the vital role aviation can play in building and diversifying economies,” says Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO, who visited the kingdom in October 2012. The continued trend of improving growth
in passenger traffic has also been attrib- uted to the steady liberalisation of Saudi Arabia’s aviation industry, according to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA). “Since the beginning of the liberation of
the Saudi market in 2007, passenger traffic has grown at an average of 7.7 percent per annum, almost double the average growth of the previous five years,” says CAPA in a report published in the third quarter of 2012. By opening up the market to more players, CAPA believes the Saudi aviation sector is poised to generate further growth. Aside from the national carrier
Saudia (formerly Saudi Arabian Airlines), among the international carriers that fly to the kingdom are Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, in addi- tion to an increasing number of low-cost carriers from across the Middle East.
The domestic flight market, which
serves around 27 million people a year, is currently undergoing a privatisation process to allow foreign airlines to operate for the first time. At the time of going to press, 14 companies had applied for licences with Gulf Air and Qatar Airways the first to be granted operating rights with more announcements expected to follow.
SAUDIA ON THE RISE Over the years, the growth of the kingdom’s airline industry has also been reflected in the upbeat performance of Saudia. Inaugurated in 1945, Saudia has come a
long way by modernising its fleet to cater to a growing number of passengers. Currently, Saudia has around 102 aircraft,
including the most advanced wide-bodied jets available and operates domestic and inter- national scheduled flights as well as charter flights. These hit a peak during Ramadan and for the annual Hajj pilgrimage when the airline transports millions of Muslims from all over the world to the kingdom.
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