Ten of them have just returned from a training program for young people at Frankfurt Airport in Germany. They received their certificates in recognition of their achievements at a ceremony held at the KAIA Directorate Office on Tuesday.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and KAIA provided the training in cooperation with Fraport, the management service provider at the Jeddah airport.

“A number of training initiatives have been implemented for the benefit of the airport and its employees,” KAIA Director General Mazen Khashoggi said.

“By the end of the year, more than 500 KAIA employees will have attended courses in Jeddah. In addition, more than 100 executives, managers and young trainees will in the next 12 months be deployed to other Fraport airports around the world for individual training. Better trained staff will mean better service for travelers.”

The 10 trainees attended a Young Professionals Program course, one of the most important initiatives of GACA and KAIA.

Some of the highly talented employees are trained under this program so they can in the future take leading positions at the airport. As part of the program, they are sent to Fraport headquarters at Frankfurt Airport in Germany for three to six months to work on individual projects and receive general management training.

This was the second young professional group sent to Frankfurt. Those who completed the program last year are working at KAIA in the fields they have been trained for. The next group of 10 dedicated young KAIA employees is scheduled to leave Jeddah for Frankfurt early next month. More groups will follow in the future.

“We are committed to the highest standards at KAIA and the 10 graduates of the Young Professionals Training Program were selected for their high potential to hold leading positions in the management of the airport,” said Khashoggi. “We are all very pleased with the progress they have shown as a result of their training.”

KAIA’s Managing Director Jan C. Laufs said Fraport in Frankfurt was highly impressed by the enthusiasm and high level of aptitude shown by the trainees. “They achieved great progress in a relatively short period of time and we look forward to seeing them put the results of their training into practice as KAIA goes through the process of transformation into a world class airport,” he said.

The training and capabilities development program is a key part of the plans for the expansion of the airport. “The training was of immense benefit to me and my group. It is now our responsibility to implement what we have learned with a view to offering better services to travelers,” said Mokhtar Jamjoom, one of the 10 trainees.

The 29-year-old airport includes the South, North, Haj and General Aviation Terminals as its main facilities, as well as employee quarters. Further expansion plans are being implemented this year.

The airport’s passenger capacity is expected to continuously increase, reaching 19 million passengers this year.