MADINAH, 10 November 2004 — The tiny size of the terminal and its deficient air-conditioning system are just some of the many complaints aired by passengers who regularly use Madinah’s Prince Muhammad ibn Abdul Aziz International Airport.
Considered one of the main gateways for pilgrims to the Kingdom, the airport serves hundreds of thousands of passengers from around the world every year. In addition to international and domestic pilgrims and visitors, the airport also serves students from various parts of the Muslim world.
The current infrastructure of the airport does cannot cope with the large numbers of pilgrims arriving at the airport. The airport receives nearly 25 international and domestic flights every day.
Passengers are disappointed at the services provided at the airport and the many problems they encounter.
Yasir Al-Johani, an engineer, said, “The airport is old. It is nearly 30 years old and not many changes were made to it. The airport always faces air-conditioning problems and lacks other services.”
In the 1960s, the airport was only four kilometers from the city center. The airport was moved in 1974 to a more convenient location 12 kilometers to the northwest of the city center and was named after Prince Muhammad, the first governor of the region.
Talking about security inside the terminal, Al-Johani said: “I remember once when I was traveling to Jeddah, the airport security guards, who are supposed to check every passenger entering the airport, were busy making fun and talking with each other. What was even worse, the metal detector was not functioning.”
Abu Sameer, a frequent traveller, said, “The solution is to shut down this airport and build a new one. In my opinion, the airport is currently capable of receiving four flights a day, considering the condition of the airport and services provided. The air-conditioning is not working properly, toilets are dirty, the airport lacks a decent cafeteria, and there are not enough luggage carts. The airport is an embarrassment to Madinah and its visitors.”
Medhat Abdul Fattah, an Egyptian pilgrim, said, “The lack of services that people complain about is not new because the airport hasn’t changed. However, I noticed last time I came the air-conditioning was not working properly and it was very hot.”
He said the airport’s arrival area is mess, especially with the taxi drivers. As soon as passengers exit the airport lounge, taxi drivers jump on them offering their services. “Some of these taxi drivers operate as hotel agents. Where are the police? Shouldn’t this be organized by agents inside the terminal?” he asked.
Sometimes buses that are supposed to carry pilgrims to their hotels do not arrive, he said.
“I understand that the airport is too small, but this is a problem for the government to solve. They should have anticipated that the airport would receive large numbers of pilgrims and improved the services to meet the expectations of pilgrims.”
Ali Ahmad, a Saudi businessman, said, “I travel frequently between Madinah and Riyadh. I treat this airport as a domestic airport even if it receives international flights. The airport is very disorganized. Look at what happens when more than one flight land at the airport. You immediately notice that the airport cannot handle more than one flight at a time. If that is the case, then why should I call it an international airport? Counters are not organized and there is a long line before we enter the departure hall because there is only one lane for security check. This airport needs a major expansion to handle the growing number of passengers.”
