Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The resumption of domestic flights in the Kingdom on May 31 has largely contributed to enhancing internal air transport in the Kingdom and stimulated all economic sectors. This include the tourism sector due to the direct impact of the air transport market on all other sectors and the growth of the entire economic activity.

In cooperation with the ministry of health, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has implemented all necessary preventive and health measures within the airport facilities. This is in addition to its continuous monitoring of the commitment of national air carriers and airport staff in imposing these precautions to ensure a safe travel that starts at the steps of the passengers' home until he reaches his intended destination.

And with the vital sectors resuming their activities in the Kingdom again after the stoppage due to the novel Coronavirus pandemic, GACA seeks to advance the civil aviation sector in the Kingdom to play its role effectively and to augment its participation in strengthening the national economy.

The authority has gradually increased the number of flights at the Kingdom’s airports, now reaching more than 20,000 flights.

The Kingdom's airports network contributed to the promotion of domestic tourism and economic and developmental growth in all regions of the Kingdom.

The geographical distribution of Saudi airports contributed to the development of domestic tourism and to the diversity of tourism options for citizens. This is due to the presence of four main international airports — King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, and Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah.

This in addition to airports scattered over all regions of the Kingdom, including five in the central airports group — Prince Naif Airport in Al-Qassim, Al-Ahsa Airport, Qaisumah Airport, Wadi Al-Dawasir Airport and Dawadmi Airport, and six airports in the Western Airports group (Yanbu, Taif, Al-Baha, Prince Abdelmajeed Airport in AlUla, Al-Wajh and Rabigh).

Furthermore, there are eight airports belonging to the northern airports group that includes, (Hail Airport, Al-Jouf Airport, Prince Sultan Airport in Tabuk, Arar Airport, Rafha Airport, Qurayyat Airport,Turaif Airport and Neom Airport). There are five airports in the southern regions (Abha Airport King Abdullah Airport in Jazan, Najran Airport, Bisha Airport and Sharurah Airport).

All these 28 airports facilitate travel between cities around the Kingdom and make it faster and safer and encourage human communication, as they drive economic growth and support development in all regions around the kingdom.

GACA has harnessed all of its capabilities and taken all measures and procedures to ensure a safe journey for travellers. It has scheduled flights, where the time periods between flights are not less than three hours until the terminals and equipment are sterilized. Furthermore, GACA obligated all airport and flight crew personnel to sterilize and wear masks and face shields and they were subjected to health examination.

GACA has also provided sterilizers in every parts of the airports, in addition to sterilizing the airports continuously "every 3 hours", and constantly cleaning the aircraft after each flight, as the Kingdom is working to increase the capacity of its airports to cope with the development of new tourist destinations. Destinations, such as the city of the future NEOM and the cultural city of Al-Qiddiya, near Riyadh, in addition to a number of tourism and entertainment projects in the vicinity of the Red Sea.