Fuel Efficiency in Saudi Arabia’s Aviation Sector: Progress and Future Implications

Despite the fast global expansion of the aviation industry, due to its sustainability issues, the industry’s concerns about energy efficiency and emissions are still very important. Studying the changing energy consumption patterns in Saudi Arabia is crucial, as the country is expected to see significant changes in the coming years with new infrastructure, an increase in tourism, and new airlines.

Worldwide intraregional and interregional air passenger traffic volume distribution

Aviation, like other transport modes, is essential for the economy; it facilitates business and trade, allows people to connect with different regions/cities, and generate tourism. Air traffic at the country or regional level is quite interesting by analyzing and comparing its relative contribution to the worldwide air transport volume of passengers, considering domestic and international transport. As a result, the impact and importance of aviation for passengers vary by geography, giving a better understanding of how regions concentrate passengers’ air traffic volume. It also provides a global overview of the development and concentration of future growth.

Worldwide Intraregional and Interregional Air Freight Traffic Volume Distribution

Freight by air does not comprise a significant share of the worldwide tonnage due to its cost compared to land (road and rail) and sea transport. However, air freight is important for commodities that either have high values or are time-sensitive. For instance, documents, perishable products, electronics, pharmaceuticals, or emergency shipments of spare parts are commonly shipped by air. Although the demand for air freight could have a more important role in landlocked countries or developing regions where land transport infrastructure is scarce, it is limited because of the imbalances between inbound and outbound flows. Consequently, considering freight traffic volume worldwide concentration and distribution among countries or regions is remarkable when compared with its relative contribution to the global freight volume.

Aircraft seating capacity designation by selected airlines in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia/Pacific, North America, and Latin America

Aircraft capacity utilization is one of the main factors in an airline’s productivity. It is also vital when analyzing both energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the aviation sector per passenger. In fact, the energy consumption by passengers in aviation has enormous variations due to two main factors: a. the aircraft characteristics; and b. the occupancy rate—the maximum aircraft capacity used. Although airlines have different aircraft fleets with varying seating configurations, the aircraft are usually broken down into the following general categories: a. small narrowbody aircraft with 150 seats or less in a two-class configuration; b. large narrowbody aircraft with 151 seats or more in a two-class configuration; and c. widebody aircraft with a two-aisle configuration. In addition, flight length classification criteria can alter from one airline carrier to another with no global standard agreed on, but routes are typically categorized into long-, medium-, or short-haul; however, certain aircraft are well known as long-haul flight operators depending on the aircraft’s technical characteristics.

Post-Covid Recovery of Air Traffic in Saudi Arabia

The dramatic drop in air traffic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the related travel restrictions has significantly impacted the aviation industry in Saudi Arabia and around the world. The sector has suffered considerable losses due to the reduction in passenger traffic.

Aviation Fuel Consumed and Passengers Carried in Saudi Arabia

The air transport sector in Saudi Arabia has an important impact on the economy (e.g., job creation, gross domestic product, and gross value added). Over 690 routes are registered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for both domestic and international travel. There are currently 141 domestic routes. This data insight presents the fuel consumed and total passengers carried by the aviation sector over the past 10 years.

The Implementation of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation and Its Challenges for Aviation

The aviation sector is a fast-growing industry that contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. To address this issue, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) set aspirational emissions goals and introduced the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). CORSIA aims to cap carbon emissions from international flights by 2020 through the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and other measures. The eligibility criteria for SAFs include a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels and compliance with sustainability criteria. However, challenges remain, such as the limited production capacity and higher cost of SAFs. CORSIA’s implementation is voluntary for participating states in the first phase but will become mandatory in the second phase. Increasing participation, ensuring the integrity of offset credits, and addressing technological and documentation challenges are essential for the successful implementation of CORSIA and the decarbonization of the aviation sector.

Will King Salman International Airport Be One of the Largest Airports in the World?

King Salman International Airport (KSIA), with a projected capacity of up to 185 million passengers and 3.5 million tonnes of freight by 2050, is crucial for Saudi Vision 2030. Developing tourism and industrial areas will be vital for its success. In April 2016, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman launched Saudi Vision 2030, which is a comprehensive strategy for the economic and social development of Saudi Arabia. Its objectives include diversifying the Saudi economy, boosting tourism, increasing trade, generating new jobs and economic opportunities, and reducing the country’s dependence on oil exports.

Key Improvements in the Saudi Aviation Sector: Exploring the Performance of the Passenger Load Factor

Aviation is a significant contributor to the global economy, given that it, directly and indirectly, contributes to jobs, tourism, trade, and countries’ gross domestic product (GDP). However, environmental issues, technological advances, consumer behavior, energy consumption, the volume of passenger and cargo air traffic, and the liberalization of markets have challenged this sector’s ability to continue as a catalyst for future economic development.

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