SAUDI ARABIA. King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) operator Riyadh Airports Company has reported a continued surge in duty free sales in Q3, with turnover up by +62% compared to the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.
Lagardère Travel Retail-owned Aelia Duty Free runs the duty free retailing at the Riyadh gateway.
The impressive result was crowned by a +90% rise in duty free sales for September, again measured against the pre-pandemic benchmark.
The numbers outstrip a strong passenger traffic recovery rate at KKIA. Passenger volumes stand at 92% of 2019 levels in the year to date, and +77% against the first nine months of last year. The result was bolstered by record traffic in a single month this August.
International passenger numbers have been leading the growth, reaching +11% above 2019 levels in September and +8% in August. Over the whole of Q3, international passenger volumes rose +5.5%.
Food & beverage sales at KKIA in Q3 rose +21% against the same quarter in 2019 while other retail was up +12%. Riyadh Airports Company attributed this to continued management focus, and close working with business partners to optimise commercial opportunities.
Riyadh Airport Company Commercial Group Acting VP RAC Abdulaziz Al Asaker said: “Once again, these are excellent results, both for passenger numbers and our terminal-led sales and we are proud to be leading the region in pandemic recovery and growth beyond. We were especially happy to see our all-time record achieved in August and the growing strength in the international sector driving that.
“Our focus on a collaborative approach with our airlines and commercial partners is strongly supporting the underlying growth and the steady transformation of KKIA as we work towards the Aviation Strategy 2030 and achieving 100 million passengers through the airport.”
