“The regional airport in Taif should be developed to an international level so that it could share part of the burden of Haj flights to King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah,” said Muhammad Al-Otaibi, a resident of Taif. He added that the airport’s distance to Makkah was not more than the distance between Jeddah and Makkah.
Abdullah Al-Shahri, another citizen, said the development and opening of the airport for international flights was vital to exploit the tourist and business potential of Taif to the maximum.
Taif businessman Eid Al-Suwat said Haj flights should be operated to and from Taif so the city could get a share of the profitable business activities related to the pilgrimage. “Until 30 years ago, Taif used to do brisk business during Haj seasons, as all pilgrims arriving in the Kingdom via land passed through the city. The city’s old business status could be resumed if a considerable number of Haj flights were operated from Taif,” he said.
Al-Suwat plans to request the new Haj minister to revive the role of Taif in the Haj services. He said the existing infrastructure such as roads, and hotels were good enough to serve pilgrims in large numbers.
Member of Taif Municipal Council, Ahmad Al-Shohaib, said the increase in flights to the airport would open up more employment opportunities to Saudis, especially in hotels and tour operations.
Chairman of the Taif Chamber of Commerce and Industry Naif Al-Adwani said there were signs of authorities showing interest in developing the airport. He hoped that eventually Taif would become the second largest pilgrims’ entry point after Jeddah.
A source at the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said a project is in the pipeline to expand the airport.
In September last year, GACA announced its plan to build a new airport Taif with advanced facilities. Taif Gov. Fahd bin Muammar said land has been handed to the GACA to build the new airport.
The existing airport in Taif, which cannot receive large aircraft, was built in 1955.