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Arabian Post
21-07-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
New Low‑Cost Airline Set to Lift Dammam's Aviation Prospects
A consortium led by Air Arabia and partners Nesma Group and KUN Holding has secured approval from Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation to establish and operate a low‑cost carrier based at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The airline is expected to begin operations in 2026, with a fleet of 45 aircraft serving 24 domestic and 57 international destinations by 2030. GACA projects the carrier will transport around 10 million passengers annually and generate over 2,400 direct jobs. The airline forms part of the kingdom's broader National Transport and Logistics Strategy under Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the economy, boost non‑oil revenues, and position Saudi Arabia as a global aviation hub. Officials emphasised that improved seat capacity from the Eastern Province will provide travellers with more competitive options and strengthen connectivity in both regional and global markets. Air Arabia brings extensive low‑cost carrier experience to the alliance. Founded in 2003 and headquartered at Sharjah, UAE, the airline is the region's first and largest budget operator, currently managing a network spanning over 80 destinations, with more than 170 routes when including its subsidiaries. Nesma Group, a diversified Saudi conglomerate active in construction, hospitality and aviation services, partners through Nesma Airlines—a regional operator established in 2007. KUN Investment Holding contributes capital and local expertise, complementing the strategic framework. ADVERTISEMENT The consortium's ambitions align with enhancements unveiled in Dammam's aviation infrastructure. Governor Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz unveiled integrated development plans for King Fahd International, Al‑Ahsa and Qaisumah airports, along with a SAR 1.6 billion package to modernise services, install electronic gates and boost passenger convenience. King Fahd International handled 12 million passengers in 2024—a 15 percent increase over the previous year—and posted record volumes, underscoring the region's growing appeal. The new airline will also enhance competition against existing carriers. Saudi Arabia already hosts low‑cost operators such as flynas and flyadeal, both headquartered in Jeddah and operating from Dammam. Flynas currently fields 65 aircraft across 88 destinations, while flyadeal, a subsidiary of national carrier Saudia, operates 42 aircraft. The entry of a Dammam‑based low‑cost airline is expected to intensify competition on price and route coverage, particularly along under‑served domestic and international sectors. Air Arabia's network strength is a key asset. The carrier has built a proven operational model via its hubs in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Morocco, Egypt and Pakistan, which may accelerate launch efficiency in Saudi Arabia. CEO Adel Al Ali and Nesma Group President Faisal Bin Saleh Al‑Turki affirmed that the partnership will deliver reliable value‑driven travel, support economic growth, and bolster national employment in Eastern Province and beyond. Challenges will include ramping up fleet acquisition, training, infrastructure integration and regulatory alignment. Airline licence formalities, expected to be completed next year, will pave the way for aircraft procurement ahead of the projected 2026 launch. Operational rollout will require close coordination with authorities at King Fahd International—including the new Dammam Airports Co. corporate identity and enhanced gate systems—to ensure seamless passenger experience. The introduction of a Dammam‑centric budget airline dovetails with the broader objective of accommodating 330 million passengers and 4.5 million tonnes of cargo annually across Saudi airports by 2030. Infrastructure investments and strategic alignment across multiple regions aim to imprint Eastern Province as a key aviation hub, reinforcing national goals of economic diversification and global logistics prominence.
Argaam
25-05-2025
- Business
- Argaam
GACA issues April report on airport, airline punctuality
The General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) released its monthly report on the punctuality of Saudi airports and national carriers for April 2025. The report measures performance based on departures and arrivals occurring within 15 minutes of the scheduled time and complements GACA's other monthly assessments of service quality at airports and airlines. Among international airports with more than 15 million passengers annually, Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport ranked first with a 90% compliance rate. In the category of international airports with five to 15 million passengers annually, Dammam's King Fahd International Airport topped with 87% compliance. As for international airports with two to five million passengers per year, Abha International Airport led with a 91% compliance rate. NEOM Bay International Airport took first place in the fourth category of international airports with less than two million passengers annually, with a 95% compliance rate. Meanwhile, for domestic airports, Tarif Airport led with 100% compliance. The following table breaks down the on-time departure performance of Saudi airports in April 2025: Compliance with Departure Times Category Airport Current Month Previous Month Int'l Airports (>15 mln passengers annually) King Khalid International (Riyadh) 90% 93% King Abdulaziz International (Jeddah) 78% 84% Int'l Airports (5-15 mln passengers annually) King Fahd International (Dammam) 87% 93% Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport (Madinah) 72% 85% Int'l Airports (2-5 mln passengers annually) Abha International Airport 91% 95% King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport (Jizan) 90% 95% Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport (Tabuk) 83% 90% Int'l Airports (<2 mln passengers annually) Neom Bay International Airport 95% 95% Al-Ahsa International Airport 93% 84% Hail International Airport 92% 94% Najran International Airport 90% 92% Arar International Airport 90% 94% AlUla International Airport 89% 97% Al Qaisumah International Airport 87% 88% Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport Qassim) 86% 92% Al Jouf International Airport 84% 88% Taif International Airport 82% 88% Prince Abdulmohsen bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Yanbu 74% 81% Domestic Airports Tarif Airport 100% 100% Wadi Al-Dawasir Airport 100% 92% King Saud bin Abdulaziz Airport (Al-Baha) 99% 100% Bisha Airport 94% 88% Al-Qurayyat Airport 83% 93% Al-Dawadmi Airport 75% 100% Sharurah Airport 75% 96% Rafha Airport 73% 97% Saudi Airlines (Saudia) topped national carriers in terms of compliance to arrival and departure flights, with 89%. Meanwhile, flynas came in second with 86% for compliance to arrivals and 91% for departures. National Carriers' Compliance to Arrival/Departure Times Carrier Arrivals Departures Current Month Previous Month Current Month Previous Month Saudia 89% 95% 89% 94% flynas 86% 91% 91% 91% Flyadeal 87% 91% 91% 94% The report showed that the Riyadh-Abha route, Riyadh-Tabuk route, and Riyadh-Dammam route topped domestic routes in terms of compliance at 96%. Compliance of Top five Domestic Routes* Route Departure Compliance in Current Month Departure Compliance in Previous Month Riyadh to Abha 96% 98% Riyadh to Tabuk 96% 98% Riyadh to Dammam 96% 95% Jizan to Riyadh 95% 95% Riyadh to Jizan 95% 97% *Selected from the 20 busiest routes. Internationally, the Riyadh-Amman route topped with a 97% compliance rate, followed by the Riyadh-Dubai route (94%). Compliance of Top Five International Routes* Route Compliance of Departure Flights Current Month Previous Month Riyadh to Amman 97% 99% Riyadh to Bahrain 94% 96% Jeddah to Amman 94% 92% Riyadh to Dubai 93% 98% Riyadh to Kuwait 92% 93% *Selected from the 20 busiest routes. GACA indicated that cancelled flights are excluded when calculating the compliance rate. The actual time is calculated when the aircraft starts moving (push back from the stand) and when it stops moving (on stand with brakes on).
