“The number of passengers at KKIA from the beginning of 2010 until the end of October reached 11,624,469, registering an 8.9-percent increase from 10,676,163 passengers in the same period in 2009,” acting Director General of the KKIA Abdullah Al-Tasan said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency on Friday.

The increase in the number of fliers is attributed to factors such as starting new services by private and foreign airlines companies at the airport. In the first 10 months of the year, the volume of air cargo also grew by 20.7 percent to 195,905 tons compared to 162,339 tons in the same period last year. The entry of new cargo services by foreign and private companies resulted in the rise in the quantity of international air cargo movement by 19.1 percent, the statement said.

“The airport administration is determined to raise the performance level of services and operations besides further improving the utilities with the aim of the faster and comfortable movement of passengers without hitch,” said Al-Tasan.

He added that the airport administration has a strategic plan to accommodate the continuously growing number of passengers. The plan includes guaranteeing faster service to departing and arriving passengers by opening more counters for check-in and baggage handling, increasing number of gates for security check and immigration procedures. The plan also includes construction of larger hangars, and space for taxi and replacement of air bridges to suit larger aircraft, increasing the capacity of the departure lounges.

Steps are also being taken to develop the services of the private airlines and cargo transport in addition to activating the quality administration at the airport.