RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s minister of transport oversaw operational procedures at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday after heavy rain reportedly brought it to a near standstill on Friday.
Saleh Al-Jasser inspected the airport’s facilities and assessed measures taken to restore smooth passenger flow, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
He also received a technical briefing at the operations center from Raed Al-Idrissi, the CEO of Matarat Holding, on airport operations and flight punctuality, and the implementation of Passenger Rights Protection Regulations.
He ordered the necessary reviews to ensure sustained operational discipline under all conditions.
Al-Jasser was accompanied by the General Authority of Civil Aviation’s President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej; Ayman AboAbah, the CEO of Riyadh Airports Company; and several senior officials from the airport.
Thousands of passengers traveling to and from the airport were left stranded on Friday due to a slew of cancellations and delays.
Saudia and flyadeal were among the aviation firms who faced difficulties, with the two airlines blaming temporary operational challenges for the issues.
A statement from the airport on its official X account had urged travelers to contact airlines directly before heading to the aviation hub to verify the updated status and timing of their flights.
The statement said: “King Khalid International Airport would like to inform you that, due to the concurrence of a number of operational factors over the past two days — including several flights diverting from other airports to King Khalid International Airport, in addition to scheduled maintenance works within the fuel supply system — this has resulted in an impact on the schedules of some flights, including the delay or cancellation of a number of flights operated by certain airlines.”
Airport sources told Arab News that the issue resulted from the heavy rain Riyadh experienced on Friday.
Water had reportedly got into the fuel tankers set to refuel jets, and several airlines then struggled to reschedule passengers.
