Saudi Arabia has big ambitions for its aviation industry, with Riyadh aiming to become a major international air travel hub by 2030. To achieve this, the kingdom plans to invest $100bn in the expansion and enhancement of its aviation sector. Its efforts will build on the role of the region’s existing international aviation hubs. Dubai International airport has been the busiest international airport in the world for the past seven years and in 2019 handled over 80 million passengers. In the Middle East, it is followed by Doha Hamad International airport in Qatar. In the next seven years, however, the region’s air traffic map could be transformed by Riyadh’s Saudi Aviation Strategy. Structural transformations The plan, announced by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca), envisages tripling Saudi Arabia’s annual passenger traffic to 330 million travellers by 2030. It also aims to increase air cargo traffic to 4.5 million tonnes and raise the country’s total air connections to more than 250 destinations. To achieve this, the country is expanding its airport infrastructure and launching new airlines. Last year, the kingdom announced plans to transform Riyadh International airport into a major aviation hub capable of handling 120 million travellers by 2030. The new scheme tops the list of the world’s 50 biggest airport construction projects by value and will become the operations base of the airline RIA, which will be launched soon. According to Saleh al-Jasser, transport and logistics services minister, RIA will compete with regional giants Emirates and Qatar Airways Steered by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the new carrier will supercede the 77-year-old state airline Saudia as the national airline. The PIF, which launched its own lessor AviLease last year, is investing about $30bn to establish RIA. Initially, the airline is expected to order up to 40 new A350s, as well as a selection of narrow-bodied aircraft. (ICE RIYADH)

Fonte notizia: Meed