Saudia starts second phase of domestic flights from new Jeddah airport

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) has started the second phase of its domestic operation from the new King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah.

The Saudi national airline launched phase two on Sunday with a flight to the city of Jazan.

The airline now operates flights to Jazan, Taif and Sharurah with a total of 122 flights per week from the new airport, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The transfer process has been “smooth” and has gone according “to a strategic plan” to ensure that the operations of other flights at the current airport have not been affected, the report added.

“All the necessary human and operational capabilities have been provided, with the provision of electronic services for guests, the development and updating of the regulations and the simplification of the procedures for guest services”, it added.

During the next two weeks, the second phase will see more domestic Saudia flights shifted to the new airport in cooperation with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and the airport administration.

By the end of the phase, the airline will operate all domestic flight services to 14 destinations in the kingdom from the new airport.

Read: All domestic flights from Jeddah to shift to new airport this year

The transfer process was smooth in accordance with a strategic plan for the transfer of operations so as not to affect the operation of other flights at the current airport.

Jeddah’s new airport had a soft launch in May 2018, with the official opening scheduled for the first half of 2019.

Read: Saudi to appoint new private-sector operator for Jeddah airport in 2019

When fully open, the airport will operate 46 gates, and is designed to serve about 30 million passengers annually.

Spread across 27,987 square metres, the airport will also have 220 check-in counters for all flights, 80 self-service counters and five lounges for premium passengers.

It will be a “world-class resource” and “a projection of the kingdom’s ambitions to the world,” Abdulhakim Al-Tamimi, president of GACA, said last year.

“The airport provides a platform that will allow the kingdom to play a greater role as a regional hub for transport and logistics services, and support the growing number of pilgrims to the two holy mosques,” he added.