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Huge expansion planned for Saudi’s Abha airport

By Gavin Gibbon
The expansion of Abha International Airport in south-west Saudi Arabia means It will handle 90,000 flights per year, three times the current amount Reuters/Nael Shyoukhi
The expansion of Abha International Airport in south-west Saudi Arabia means It will handle 90,000 flights per year, three times the current amount

Abha International Airport in the south-west of Saudi Arabia is to expand to more than six times its current size.

The plans, revealed this week by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will see the terminal area of the airport increased to 65,000 square metres.

It includes the construction of passenger boarding bridges, self-service facilities and parking areas.

This first phase of the expansion is scheduled to complete in 2028, according to a report by state-run Saudi Press Agency.

The airport’s capacity will increase to accommodate over 13 million passengers annually, a tenfold rise from the current 1.5 million capacity. 

It will also handle more than 90,000 flights per year, three times the annual amount currently handled. 

Additionally, the new airport will feature 20 gates, along with 41 check-in counters with 7 new self-service check-in areas.

The renovated airport is expected to play a major role in Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to increase air connectivity to 250 destinations and transport 330 million passengers annually through its Vision 2030 program.

Earlier this week Red Sea Global, the developer behind the huge regenerative tourism giga-projects, The Red Sea and Amaala in the west coast of the kingdom, welcomed its first guests to the new Red Sea International Airport (RSI).

Saudi Arabian flag carrier Saudia operates two flights a week to and from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport to RSI.

The kingdom has targeted a goal of attracting 150 million visitors by 2030.

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