RIYADH: Passenger movement in Saudi Arabia’s airports is on course to be further facilitated thanks to a first-of-its-kind digital initiative launched by the president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation.
Abdulaziz Al-Duailej inaugurated the project to develop a new system for managing and monitoring airline travelers in the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
This move comes in line with GACA’s aim of enhancing the aviation industry in the Kingdom to effectively perform its role in improving the traveler’s experience, Al-Duailej stressed.
It also aligns well with the authority’s pledge to have digital transformation as one of its priorities to provide the best and finest services in accordance with international standards, he added.
This project builds upon several others spearheaded by the authority, including issuing a list of travelers’ rights designed to enhance services to the highest levels of excellence, the president explained.
The development will cover 27 airports across the Kingdom in what is a sign of its innovative nature, according to Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Dahmash, the executive vice president for Quality and Passenger Experience at GACA.
In addition, the undertaking, considered one of the programs that provides promising technical solutions to measure the traveler’s experience, comes within the objectives of the National Aviation Strategy to improve and enhance the visitors’ journey at the Kingdom’s airports, Al-Dahmash emphasized.
This comes as the venture will provide an integrated passenger flow management and analysis system and include a coordinated platform with a separate business board for each airport. This will contribute to accelerating decision-making processes by executive leadership and improving operational efficiency, the vice president highlighted.
Operational performance standards involve measuring passenger waiting times at each departure stage. This encompasses assistance for passengers with disabilities, check-in procedures, passport, and security inspections. The assessment extends to the arrival phase, covering baggage receipts and customs procedures.
Through the venture, the authority aims to automate the process of measuring waiting times to reach 99 percent of passenger traffic, he underlined.
Al-Dahmash emphasized that the initiative is a basic building block for continuous improvement to keep pace with digital developments and changes and is one of the most important transformational projects in the traveler’s experience.
Based on the principle that the guest is the main focus in the aviation industry, the visitor experience is the pillar and the main goal, he concluded.
In June, GACA put forward the draft economic regulations for airports on a survey platform between June 22 and July 20.
According to a statement released at the time, this came amid efforts to help boost Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector’s efficiency and competitiveness.
The regulations aim to support the sector’s rapid growth, enhance passenger experience and ensure transparency and fairness, the statement added at the time.
