Saudia opens airport operations building in Jeddah

Saudi national carrier Saudia has announced the opening of its new operations building at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

Saudi Airlines Real Estate Development Company (Sared) constructed the facility, which covers an area of 50,000 square metres and includes an operations control centre, which is the largest in the Middle East and the 12th largest worldwide.

According to the carrier, the centre coordinates between the group’s business lines, communicates with aircraft via its state-of-the-art facilities to ensure control of its operational plans and tracks air traffic across all domestic and international airports in real-time.

The mini terminal includes artificial intelligence-powered self-boarding kiosks and five luggage carousels as well as 15 meeting rooms for pre-flight cabin crew briefings.

More than 1,100 employees can be accommodated in the two-storey building, the company said.

Sared has prioritised safety and security throughout the building’s design, construction and deployment stages. Additionally, the eco-friendly structure adheres to international sustainability standards.

“We are eager to see the new Saudia operations building help make our flight services, which span over one-hundred destinations in four continents, more punctual and efficient than ever before,” said Engineer Ibrahim Al Omar, director-general of Saudia Group.

“The new infrastructure is not only equipped with innovative technologies that put us right on the leading edge of the world of aviation, but also easily meets the needs of Saudia and other stakeholders throughout the airport,” he added.

Read: Saudia to resume seasonal direct flights between Paris and AlUla