Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation sector has demonstrated exceptional operational efficiency, with multiple airports achieving over 90% punctuality rates according to the latest performance report. The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) released its September 2025 punctuality report, showcasing impressive on-time performance across the Kingdom’s airports and national carriers, with some facilities achieving perfect compliance scores.
Performance Across Airport Categories
The comprehensive evaluation, which analyzed airports across five distinct passenger volume categories, revealed standout performances from key aviation hubs. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh secured the top position among major international airports handling over 15 million passengers annually, achieving an 87% on-time performance rate. This demonstrates the facility’s ability to efficiently manage high-volume operations while maintaining service quality.
King Fahd International Airport in Dammam led the category of airports serving 5-15 million passengers annually with a remarkable 90% compliance rate, while Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk dominated the 2-5 million passenger category with 91% punctuality.
Regional Excellence and Carrier Performance
Particularly noteworthy was the perfect 100% on-time performance achieved by King Saud bin Abdulaziz Airport in Al-Baha, setting a new benchmark for domestic aviation efficiency. AlUla International Airport also demonstrated exceptional reliability with a 97% compliance rate in its category of airports handling under 2 million passengers annually.
The Kingdom’s airlines showed strong performance, with flyadeal leading the carrier category, achieving 91% for arrivals and 93% for departures. Saudia Airlines maintained robust performance with 89% for arrivals and 86% for departures, while flynas recorded 84% and 85% respectively.
Route-Specific Excellence
The report highlighted exceptional performance on key routes, with the Tabuk-Riyadh domestic service achieving 95% punctuality. In international operations, the strategic Riyadh-Doha route demonstrated outstanding reliability with a 94% on-time rate, underlining Saudi Arabia’s growing importance as a regional aviation hub.
Vision 2030 Alignment
These achievements directly support Saudi Arabia’s National Aviation Strategy and broader Vision 2030 objectives, positioning the Kingdom as a global aviation leader. The consistent high performance across airports and carriers reflects the successful implementation of advanced operational standards and modern infrastructure development, contributing to Saudi Arabia’s goal of becoming a premier global transportation and logistics hub. This systematic improvement in aviation efficiency strengthens the Kingdom’s position as a key facilitator of international connectivity and economic growth.