DAMMAM, 21 March 2003 — The authorities have announced drastic cuts in various airport fees and rents in order to attract more foreign airlines to King Fahd International Airport.
The airport’s Director General, Mazen A. Al-Khashoggi, said in a statement that “a royal decree has been issued granting approval to the recommendations made by the committee for development of air traffic and passenger movement at KFIA.”
Accordingly, airport fees such as landing fee, sheltering fee, passenger and cargo transport fee and other fees would be reduced by up to 80 percent. The current fee varies from aircraft to aircraft depending on their weights.
The statement also said that the royal decree approved a 60 percent rent reduction for exclusive and shared areas to foreign airlines and their agents.
Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, had set up the KFIA committee about a year ago with a view to attracting more foreign airlines to the airport. Many foreign airlines operating from KFIA have been complaining about the airport fees being too high compared to other airports.
Foreign airlines welcomed the tariff cut and said the move will certainly attract more foreign airlines to the airport.
K. Prasad, Gulf Air manager in the Eastern Province, described the move as “positive and in the right direction.”
