Saudi’s AlUla airport gets nod for international flights after expansion

Saudi’s AlUla airport gets nod for international flights after expansion

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has announced the approval by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to start receiving international flights at AlUla International Airport.

The green light comes after AlUla Airport carried out a major expansion programme to become the fifth largest airport in the kingdom.

Royal Commission for AlUla and Saudi flag carrier Saudia ink agreement to promote historic tourist destination

International flights to and from the Gulf kingdom are currently suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and are expected to resume in mid-May.

The RCU said the expansion has tripled the airport's capacity and can now receive 15 commercial flights at the same time.

Its capacity has increased from 100,000 passengers to 400,000 passengers per year.

The development of the Airport is a key element of RCU's strategy to elevate AlUla to become a global destination for heritage, culture, history, and natural tourism, as well as enhancing its role as an important logistical centre in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

The strategy also aims to attract two million visitors every year to AlUla and contribute to raising the kingdom's GDP by SR120 million by 2035.

In January, the RCU and Saudi flag carrier Saudia signed an agreement to boost domestic tourism at the historic