King Abdulaziz International Airport
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King Abdulaziz International Airport مطار الملك عبدالعزيز الدولي Mataar Al-Malik Abdulazīz Ad-Dowaliy |
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | General Authority of Civil Aviation | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Al Madinah Al Munawwarah Road | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Elevation AMSL | 15 m / 48 ft | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 21°40′46″N 039°09′24″E / 21.67944°N 39.15667°ECoordinates: 21°40′46″N 039°09′24″E / 21.67944°N 39.15667°E | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www.jed-airport.com | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
 JED
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| Statistics (2015) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Passengers | 30,000,000+ |
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| Traffic movement | 208,209 |
| Economic impact (2012) | $11.5 billion |
| Social impact (2012) | 126.7 thousand |
King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) (Arabic: مطار الملك عبدالعزيز الدولي) (IATA: JED, ICAO: OEJN) is an airport located 19 km to the north of Jeddah. Named after King Abdulaziz Al Saud and inaugurated in 1981, the airport is the busiest airport of Saudi Arabia and is third largest airport in the kingdom. The airport is known for its Hajj terminal, which is specially built for Islamic pilgrims going to Mecca annually and can handle 80,000 passengers at the same time.
The airport occupies an area of 15 square kilometers. Beside the airport proper, this includes a royal terminal, facilities of Prince Abdullah Air Base for the Royal Saudi Air Force, and housing for airport staff. Construction work on KAIA airport began in 1974, and was finalized in 1980. Finally, on 31 May 1981, the airport opened for service after being officially inaugurated in April 1981.
Because of Jeddah's proximity to Islam's holy city of Mecca, the airport is notable for one feature in particular: The Hajj Terminal. Specially built to handle pilgrims to take part in the rituals associated with the annual Hajj, it offers many facilities and can accommodate 80,000 travelers at the same time.
Designed by the Bangladeshi engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), it is known for its tent-like roof structure, engineered by Horst Berger while part of Geiger Berger Associates. Ten modules, each consisting of 21 "tents" of white colored Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric suspended from pylons, are grouped together into two blocks of five modules and separated by a landscaped mall between the blocks. Only customs, baggage handling and similar facilities are located in an air-conditioned building. The vast majority of the complex, called "Terminal Support Area", is a flexible, open area, conceived to function like a village, complete with souk (market) and mosque. Not enclosed by walls, this area is sheltered from the intense sun while allowing for natural ventilation.
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