Apart from citizens and residents taking their vacations, the large number of Umrah pilgrims added to the crush during Ramadan, leaving many a passenger in despair.
However, this time around, King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA) has so far not witnessed any of the chaos that was usual before the end of every Ramadan.
It was not an uncommon scene to see traveling pilgrims squatting in the international departure lounges waiting for any flight to take them home.
This time, with the airport streamlining the departure points of the pilgrims and other passengers, the rush at the airport is nonexistent.
Supervisor of public relations Waleed Al-Aloumi told Arab News that the use of the Haj terminal this year in receiving and grouping pilgrims has had a great impact on reducing the congestion which was common in the past few years.
Al-Aloumi said domestic flights have been greatly increased to deal with the growing number of travelers. "We expect pressure to be great after the night of the Khatm (conclusion of) Al-Qur'an, but anyone with a confirmed booking will not be delayed so we may not see any overcrowding," he said.
Umrah industry sources believed that KAIA began to reap the results of the development projects implemented in the past two years. They said the airport could now handle 3,700 passengers per hour.
They said cooperation between Haj transport companies and airlines was aimed at bringing passengers to the airport well ahead of their flights.
According to the sources, other factors that reduced crowds at the airport this time of the year was the completion of the private aviation terminal that enabled such companies to provide better services to VIP travelers and businessmen. The terminal can accommodate up to 50 small and medium-size aircraft that usually carry about 60 passengers. Umrah companies extensively used these planes this year especially for travelers coming from the GCC countries. The terminal has a parking lot that can accommodate 250 cars.
On a visit to both the northern and the southern terminals, Arab News did not notice any of the chaos that marred last year’s Umrah season.
