Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH - The General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) has classified the locations of airports in Abha, Madinah and Taif as “high-risk” and ordered that all flights departing from them must be flown by pilots and not co-pilots, Makkah daily reported.



A pilot at Saudi Arabian Airlines said the three airports are dangerous due to their location above sea level.



He said: “The new international airport, Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, is located between two mountains.



“The air blown between the two mountains is heading in several directions and the southern part of the airport is near a volcanic crater that heats up in the summer, manipulating the weight of the air.”



He added unstable weather affects the departure and landing of a plane but the operation is manageable with the help of the navigation tower. “Maneuvering through unstable weather requires a higher set of skills from the pilot.



“The risk is only on flights flying from and arriving at the southern part of the airport and only during the summer. “The plane just has to pass the volcanic craters safely.



“The weather and climate factors are much more stable during the winter.” Another pilot said the airport’s location damages the airplane’s engines. He said: “The strong wind blowing creates vortexes that hit the engine, manipulating the speed of the plane.



“Without staff trained to deal with such circumstances, the flight might jostle erratically while it’s landing.”



He added pilots of all flights arriving at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport should be aware of its climate and geographical conditions.



Another pilot said airports in Abha and Taif are 6,000 feet above sea level because they are located on mountains.



He said: “The weather conditions are usually more dangerous during the summer than the winter.



“However, there is no need to worry as long as the entire plane staff is well trained and equipped.



“These tumultuous weather conditions do not cause any plane crashes or extreme life threatening circumstances.”



A GACA source said the authority has “everything under control” and passengers should have no concerns about getting on flights to or from these airports.



He said: “The authority has an open communication policy among all of the airports in the Kingdom and their staff.



“Everyone is immediately informed and updated about any drastic weather changes.



“Moreover, all flights have well trained staff members capable of dealing with emergencies predicted at their flights’ departure and arrival locations.”