Cluster 2 flights rise 8%, passengers up 13% in Q1

Logo of Cluster 2 Airports Co.

Matarat Holding Co.’s subsidiary, Cluster 2 Airports Co., reported an 8% year-on-year (YoY) growth in the number of flights to 33,430 in Q1 2023, with the passenger count also up 13% YoY to 3.7 million by the end of the quarter.

Launched on January 1, 2022, the company operates and develops the Kingdom's local, regional and tourist airports.

It aims to manage and operate 22 airports across Saudi Arabia. This is in a bid to achieve the Kingdom’s tourism goals and contribute to the aviation sector’s development.

Among the airports managed and operated by Cluster 2 are AlUla International Airport, Najran International Airport, Bisha Domestic Airport, Arar Domestic Airport, Sharurah Domestic Airport, Gurayat Domestic Airport, Jazan’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Airport, and King Saud bin Abdulaziz (Al Baha) Airport.

The company’s list of airports also includes Hail International Airport, NEOM Bay Airport, Taif International Airport, Abha International Airport, Prince Nayef Airport bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Qassim, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Tabuk Airport, Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz Yanbu Airport, Al Wajh Domestic Airport, Dawadmi Domestic Airport, Rafha Domestic Airport, Al Jouf Domestic Airport, Turaif Domestic Airport, Wadi Al-Dawasir Domestic Airport, and Rabigh Domestic Airport.

In its Q1 2023 operational performance report, Cluster 2 pointed out that the average number of flights reached 371, while the average number of passengers amounted to 40,760 in Q1 2023.

The following table shows the development in the number of flights and passengers in the first quarter of 2023:

Cargo weights of outbound freight increased YoY by 1% to 583,860 kilograms (kgs) during the first quarter of 2023. Further, inbound freight weights surged 5% to reach 243,780 kgs.

Q1 2023 also witnessed the launch of four new airline routes, namely NEOM-Dubai, Najran-Dubai, Taif-Istanbul, and Taif-Doha, the report added, indicating that the average rate of on-time international and domestic flights reached 75% and 84%, respectively.

Moreover, the company completed licensing procedures for eight airports, namely Hail International Airport, NEOM Bay Airport, Taif International Airport, Abha International Airport, Prince Nayef Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Qassim, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Tabuk Airport, Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz Yanbu Airport, and Al Wajh Domestic Airport.

Established on April 13, 2013, Matarat Holding manages and operates 27 airports throughout the Kingdom, according to data compiled by Argaam.

Matarat Holding aims, through its subsidiaries (Riyadh Airports, Jeddah Airports, Dammam Airports, and Cluster 2 Airports), to develop and promote the performance of the Kingdom's airports. This is in order to keep pace with the rapid development that Saudi Arabia is currently witnessing.

The company seeks to support sustainable development in the framework of the National Aviation Strategy emanating from the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, one of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.