Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) carried 557,089 passengers through 3,380 scheduled and additional flights between African airports and the Kingdom in the first quarter of the current year, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The number of incoming and outgoing passengers increased by 9 percent compared to figures of the same period last year, the Agency said.

Abdullah Al-Ajhar, assistant general manager of Saudia for public relations, attributed the passenger growth to the delivery of more aircraft and, accordingly, expansion of seat capacity to African-bound flights to 356,064 seats, or an increase of 10 percent compared to figures of the same period last year.

Mujab Al-Dosari, head of passenger services and sales, African region, said Egyptian-bound flights accounted for 68 percent of the African total fights during Q1. Meanwhile, Tunis, Kano, Khartoum, and Cairo stations registered the highest load of the regular flights reaching 89 percent of the totals, an increase of 15 percent of the same period last year, he said.

The rate of load for Umrah flights from the African countries grew by 89 percent, or an increase of 3 percent compared to figures of last year.

The number of outgoing umrah flights has considerably increased to 447, or an increase of 45 percent compared to figures of last year, he said.