King Khaled International Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh at Terminal 5.

The Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) has completed all preparations enabling it to manage all domestic flights at King Khaled International Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh at Terminal 5, starting midnight Sunday.

The first departing flight, No. 1677 to Abha, will be at 12:10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 22 and the first arriving flight, No. 1052, from Jeddah, will be at 12:25 a.m. the same day.

Some 36 check-in desks are prepared to serve Saudia customers at the new terminal, of which 30 are for economy class and 6 for first and business classes.

Additionally, 10 self-service machines enable customers to finalize travel procedures, including booking and printing boarding passes, in addition to a sales office located near the self-service machines that helps customers buy tickets or get other services.

Through the new terminal, Saudia plans to operate 1,349 flights during the first week — 666 departures and 683 arrivals.

Mohammed Ali Al-Bakri, deputy CEO for strategic projects at Saudia, said all coordination work between the concerned sectors and strategic units at KKIA, Riyadh Airport Company (RAC) and the operating company (DAAI) has been finalized and all domestic flights will operate through the new terminal.

He said the technical capabilities in the new terminal will allow Saudia to implement its operational plans, which entailed providing self-service machines, scheduling flights and other operations and services.

The new expansion will serve as a catalyst to increase the volume of flights in the future.

The total area of the new terminal is 106,000 square meters; it has 16 gates, a baggage-collection area, self-service platforms and electric lifts, he said

The ease with which the gradual transfer of work in the new terminal happened is due to the excellent planning of the team working on this strategic projects in close cooperation with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)and other government agencies working in the airport, said Al-Bakri.

These efforts support the operations of the national carrier, he said, adding that all airlines comply with SV202 plan and the national transformation program that is being implemented in all Saudia sectors and its strategic units.

Al-Bakri urged passengers who will use the new terminal to come to the airport as early as possible.

He said the KKIA management has prepared buses for passengers proceeding to international fights to transfer them from Terminal 5 to international terminals 1 and 2.

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