Jeddah airport bids to ease congestion

The situation at the South Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah was returning to normal Wednesday after a fight between a passenger and an airline employee brought operations to a halt for a short time, with security authorities intervening to organize passenger movement.

“We understand the suffering of passengers and we are the ones responsible for their lack of satisfaction,” said KAIA Director Abdulhameed bin Hamad Aba Al-Ari.

“The large crowds exceed the airport’s capacity and we are not in the transition phase to expand by transferring to the new airport.”

He said there are special departure procedures in place at the Haj Terminal.

All Haj and Umrah halls can accommodate 3,800 pilgrims per hour during arrival and 2,500 pilgrims per hour during departure, he said.

Aba Al-Ari praised the efforts of security officials and airport employees in dealing with the crowds at international and domestic terminals.

Employees at all departments work for about 12 hours to deal with the large capacity of travelers, he said.

He confirmed that the transport and Haj companies organize the movement of pilgrims under a schedule in coordination with state and airline authorities.

They official urged passengers to direct their concerns to appropriate officers.

“We do not justify the absence of the employees from their respective counters,” he said.