King Abdulaziz International Airport KAIA

King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA)

is an International airport located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and is the main Saudi international airport. Named after King Abdulaziz Al Saud and inaugurated in 1981, it serves most international travel and is the largest hub for Saudi Arabia's flag carrier Saudia. The airport's Hajj Terminal was specially built for Muslim pilgrims going to Mecca annually on the Hajj.

Description

The airport occupies an area of 105 square kilometres (41 square miles). Beside the airport proper, this includes a royal terminal, facilities of King Abdullah Air Base for the Royal Saudi Air Force, and housing for airport staff. Construction work on KAIA airport began in 1974, and was finalized in 1980. Finally, on 31 May 1981, the airport opened for service after being officially inaugurated in April 1981.

New Terminal 1

In 2019, the new Terminal 1 at King Abdulaziz International Airport had a soft opening with a number of domestic flights transferred to operate from it. With an floor area of 810,000 square metres (8,700,000 sq ft), the new terminal is considered one of the largest airport terminal buildings of its kind in the world. Visitors and passengers will enjoy a number of facilities including new lounges, an 18,000 square metres (190,000 sq ft) central garden area and a transport center that links between the building and the car park and train station. Moreover, the terminal will have a huge aquarium with 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter and 14 metres (46 ft) in height as well as a capacity of million litres of water. Furthermore, a mosque with a capacity of 3,732 worshippers has been established in the airport. In August 2019, the airport started moving a number of international flights operated by Saudia to the new terminal, and on the 18th of November, Etihad has become the first non-Saudi airline to move to the new facility.