Jeddah’s international airport is closing the iconic terminal that was a first port of call for millions of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims for nearly four decades.
The facility began operating in June 1981, when a flight to New York took off from the airport. More destinations were added later in the year.
All the terminal’s operations have not shifted to a new terminal – T1 – that was inaugurated in September last year and is capable of handling 30 million passengers each year.
While international flights have largely been put on hold as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and this year’s Hajj has been significantly scaled back, the new terminal is expected to improve the kingdom’s operations for people travelling to Makkah to perform Hajj and Umrah.
The 81,000 sq m terminal includes 220 boarding counters and 80 self-service machines for check-in, as well as for departures and arrivals.
By 2035, plans for Jeddah’s revamped airport call for capacity to grow to handle more than 80 million passengers each year.
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