Saudi Arabia jumps to 13th place in IATA air connectivity index  

Saudi Arabia jumps to 13th place in IATA air connectivity index  

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s air connectivity has jumped to 13th place from 27th in 2019 as the Kingdom currently connects 131 destinations worldwide, the latest index published by the International Air Transport Association showed.

This comes within just over two years of the Saudi Cabinet’s approval to launch the Civil Aviation Sector Strategy, which aims to enhance the Kingdom’s air connectivity to 250 destinations worldwide, transporting 330 million passengers by 2030.

It also intends to serve as a global logistics hub by doubling its air cargo capacity to 4.5 million tons by the end of this decade.

Saudi Arabia's air traffic witnessed a strong rebound during the first four months of 2023, fueled by significant growth in the Saudi travel and tourism sector, a report released by the General Authority of Civil Aviation in May showed.

According to the report, Saudi air traffic recorded a 42 percent increase in the number of passengers to reach 35.8 million in the first four months of 2023, compared to the same period last year.

The Kingdom’s airports also witnessed a marked increase in air traffic during 2023 compared to pre-pandemic levels, growing at a rate of 6.2 percent compared to the same period in 2019.

Saudi Arabia also ranked seventh