Jeddah airport passengers told to arrive four hours before departure

Passengers travelling through Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport are being told to report for departure four hours before their flight time.

Saudi Press Agency reports that the new mechanism, announced on Monday, is designed to reduce crowds at the airport.

This followed instances of some lounges accommodating three times more passengers than their capacity.

The overcrowding was blamed on travellers arriving several hours before their scheduled departure time.

Airport authorities said the new rules were tested during Eid Al-Fitr and would allow it to meet passengers with a suitable number of workers and luggage trolleys.

Passengers with children, the disabled and the elderly will be exempt from the new rules.

The new time limit is hoped to prevent overcrowding and thefts, improve security and reduce the number of passengers forced to sit on the floor.