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21 july, 2024 The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) issued an index for the classification of air transport service providers and airports based on the number of complaints filed by travelers to the authority in June. GACA stated that the total number of complaints submitted by passengers against air carriers in June amounted to 900. Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) was the least carrier complained about, with 12 complaints per 100,000 passengers. The state-run airline recorded a timely complaint handling rate of 99%. Flynas ranked second, with 14 complaints and a closure rate of 100%. Meanwhile, Flyadeal came third, with 18 complaints per 100,000 passengers, reporting a timely complaint closure rate of 96%. The most frequent complaints for June were about luggage, boarding and ticketing services. For the same month, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah reported the lowest complaints, at a rate of 0.4% per 100,000 passengers, among international airports that receive over six million passengers annually. Only 16 complaints were submitted by travelers, with a timely complaint handling rate of 77%. Abha International Airport was the least airport complained about, at a rate of 1% per 100,000 passengers, among international airports that receive less than six million passengers annually. Only eight complaints were submitted, with a timely complaint handling rate of 100%. For domestic reports, Bisha Airport recorded the lowest complaints per 100,000 passengers with one complaint, or 3%, recording a timely complaint processing rate of 100%.

This news article is available only in the Arabic version.

This news article is available only in the Arabic version

This news article is available only in the Arabic version

July 11, 2024 The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) released air-traffic statistics showing significant growth in the number of passengers and flights during the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. According to the statistics, there was a 17% increase in the number of passengers over the past six months, reaching approximately 62 million passengers, compared to 53 million passengers during the same period last year. The number of flights also reached approximately 446,000, marking a 12% increase compared to the same period last year, which saw 399,000 flights. Additionally, the airfreight volume in the first six months of 2024 witnessed a 41% increase, reaching 606,000 tons compared to the 430,000 tons in the same period of 2023. During the first half of this year, GACA launched several development projects, including the development and expansion of Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, the inauguration of the development and expansion of Al-Ahsa International Airport, the launch of the new additional international departure terminal at Taif International Airport, and the introduction of the self-driving air taxi experience for the first time during the Hajj season. Furthermore, the authority granted the first operating permit for building cleaning using drones, which illustrates its commitment to enabling safe and innovative advanced air mobility solutions. It also launched a knowledge-testing center for aviation personnel and the first phase of electronic gates at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. In terms of service quality provided to passengers, GACA won two gold awards for Best Customer Service and Best Public Service Center in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, the Consumer Protection Association award for excellence in protecting passengers' rights, and the certificate in the quality management system for monitoring flight safety and environmental sustainability. The aviation sector saw several achievements in the past six months, including 16 Saudi airports obtaining the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) accreditation for 2024. Additionally, Saudi airports continued their progress in ranking among the top 50 airports worldwide, as announced in the evaluation results of the international air transport rating organization Skytrax. Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah won the first-place award as the best regional airport in the Middle East during the Skytrax World Airport Awards ceremony held in Frankfurt, Germany, and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah achieved the highest ratings on the Airports Council International list for 2023. Moreover, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam won three of the Saudi Airports Awards for 2023, including the award for the best airport in the category 5-15 million passengers, the award for the best customs inspection area, and the award for the best services for people with disabilities. SAUDIA also received recognition, winning awards for being the most advanced airline in the world and having the best economy-class catering for 2024 in the Skytrax global ranking. According to Skytrax, Flynas was crowned the fourth-best low-cost airline in the world for the second consecutive year and the first in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive year, the most important global benchmark for measuring airline performance. All these achievements are part of the initiatives and programs launched by GACA, aiming to contribute to the development of the air transport industry locally, regionally, and internationally, in line with the National Strategy for the Civil Aviation Sector. The strategy aims to make the aviation sector in the Kingdom the first in the Middle East by reaching 330 million passengers, increasing air freight capacity to 4.5 million tons, and raising air connectivity to reach 250 destinations to and from Saudi airports by 2030.

This news article is available only in the Arabic version.