- King Khalid International Airport
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King Khalid International Airport
مطار الملك خالد الدولي
IATA: RUH – ICAO: OERK Location of airport in Saudi Arabia
RUHSummary Airport type Public Operator Fraport Saudi Arabia Ltd Serves Riyadh Hub for Saudi Arabian Airlines
Nas AirElevation AMSL 2,049 ft / 625 m Coordinates 24°57′28″N 046°41′56″E / 24.95778°N 46.69889°E Website Runways Direction Length Surface ft m 15R/33L 13,796 4,205 Asphalt 15L/33R 13,796 4,205 Asphalt Statistics (2010) Passengers 13,919,000 [1] King Khalid International Airport (IATA: RUH, ICAO: OERK) (Arabic: مطار الملك خالد الدولي) is located 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, designed by the architectural firm HOK.
The airport includes the terminals, mosque, the control tower and two parallel runways, each 4,200 metres (13,800 ft) long. It has been constructed to meet the increasing international and local air transport requirements for Riyadh region.
It was an alternative landing site for NASA's Space Shuttle. [2]
Contents
History
The United States Air Force effectively took over these facilities temporarily from August 1990 through May 1991 as an airbase for aerial refueling tanker operations in support of the Gulf War. The military unit based here was the 1703rd Air Refueling Wing (Provisional).[3]
The 1703rd ARW(P) was composed mainly of KC-135 Stratotankers and used the north western firehouse as its headquarters of air operations. These tanker operations were supported by Patriot Missile battery elements of the United States Army's 5th Battalion 52d Air Defense Artillery, a large contingent of Security Forces from F. E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, as well as small French and New Zealand military contingents of the Gulf war coalition.
In addition, during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, the airport was the home to 205 General Evacuation Hospital RAMC of the British Army, who were accommodated at the nearby Singles Compound. The families of the airport workers are still living in K.K.I.A Housing Facility.
Terminals, airlines and destinations
There are four main passenger terminals at the airport.
- Terminal 1
This terminal is used for all international flights, except those operated by Air France, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and NAS Air.
- Terminal 2
This terminal is used by Air France, Saudi Arabian Airlines and NAS Air for their international flights.
- Terminal 3
This terminal is used for all domestic flights.
- Terminal 4
- This terminal is unused, having never been utilised since construction, and remains without air bridges.
The terminals are connected to each other by means of three linking buildings, These buildings are 168 metres (551 ft) long. Each terminal is triangularly shaped, it has a triangular base of 47,500 square metres (511,000 sq ft) area. The complex includes a modern VIPs terminal plus restaurants, cafeterias, airlines offices, government departments, hotels and rent-a-car companies counters, banks, first aid clinics and commercial shops.
Airlines Destinations Terminal Air Arabia Sharjah 1 Air Arabia Egypt Alexandria-Borg El Arab 1 Air France Paris-Charles de Gaulle 2 Air India Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram 1 Bahrain Air Bahrain 1 Batavia Air Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta 1 Biman Bangladesh Airlines Dhaka, Sylhet 1 bmi London-Heathrow 1 British Airways London-Heathrow 1 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong 1 Cyprus Airways Larnaca 1 EgyptAir Alexandria-El Nouzha, Cairo 1 Emirates Dubai 1 Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi 1 Flydubai Dubai 1 Garuda Indonesia Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta 1 GMG Airlines Dhaka 1 Gulf Air Bahrain 1 Jazeera Airways Kuwait 1 Jet Airways Mumbai 1 Kuwait Airways Kuwait 1 Lufthansa Frankfurt, Munich 1 Middle East Airlines Beirut 1 Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur 1 Nas Air Abu Dhabi, Adana, Alexandria, Amman-Queen Alia, Antakya-Hatay, Assiut, Beirut, Damascus, Dubai, Islamabad [begins 15 July 2012], Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen, Karachi, Kozhikode, Kuwait, Lahore [begins 8 July 2012], Sharjah, Sharm el-Sheikh 2 Nas Air Abha, Dammam, Gassim, Gizan, Hail, Jeddah, Madinah, Qaisumah, Rafha, Tabuk, Taif, Wadi Al-Dawashir 3 Oman Air Muscat 1 Pakistan International Airlines Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Sialkot 1 Qatar Airways Doha 1 Royal Air Maroc Casablanca 1 Royal Jordanian Amman-Queen Alia 1 Saudi Arabian Airlines Abu Dhabi, Amman-Queen Alia, Ankara, Athens, Bahrain, Bangalore, Beirut, Cairo, Casablanca, Chennai, Colombo, Dakar, Damascus, Delhi, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Istanbul-Atatürk, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kuwait, Lahore, London-Heathrow, Lucknow, Madrid, Malaga, Manchester, Manila, Milan-Malpensa, Mumbai, Muscat, Nairobi, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Peshawar, Rome-Fiumicino, Sana'a, Sharjah, Singapore, Tehran-Imam Khomeini, Tunis, Washington-Dulles
Seasonal: Salalah2 Saudi Arabian Airlines Abha, Al Ahsa, Al Baha, Arar, Bisha, Dammam, Dawadmi, Gassim, Gurayat, Hafar Al-Batin, Ha'il, Jizan, Jeddah, Jouf, King Khalid Military City, Medina, Najran, Qaisumah, Rafha, Sharurah, Tabuk, Taif, Turaif, Wadi Ad Dawasir, Wedjh, Yanbu 3 Singapore Airlines Singapore 1 Srilankan Airlines Colombo 1 Sudan Airways Khartoum 1 Syrian Air Damascus 1 Turkish Airlines Istanbul-Atatürk 1 Yemenia Aden, Sana'a 1 Cargo Terminal
Airlines Destinations Lufthansa Cargo Frankfurt Martinair Cargo Amsterdam, Sharjah, Singapore Saudi Arabian Airlines Cargo Addis Ababa, Bangkok-Survanabhumi, Brussels, Guangshou, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Houston-InterContinental, Istanbul-Ataturk, Milan-Malpensa, New York-JFK, Shanghai-Pudong Turkish Airlines Cargo Istanbul-Atatürk Other Terminals
The Royal Terminal
Heads of state and other high-ranking VIP visitors to the Kingdom are greeted in the Royal Pavilion. The Royal Pavilion has open spaces, garden areas, and fountains. A ceremonial hall 12.5 metres (41 ft) wide and 390 metres (1,280 ft) long connects it to the mosque. The design and geometry of the building are similar to those of the other terminals architecturally and in the aesthetic respect. Arriving guests can use either air bridges or escalators to enter the building from the aircraft parking area. The ceremonial area on the airside has space for special receptions involving honor guards and bands. Like the passenger terminals, the Royal Pavilion has a triangular plan, with a roof composed of 33 arched sections rising to a high point 30 metres (98 ft) above the ground level. Glass walls and windows illuminate the interior of the building.
General Aviation Terminal
A General Aviation Complex has been constructed north of runway number 1 for use by private aircraft and is reached by a special access road which runs north from the airport access highway. The general aviation facility includes a passenger terminal, aircraft parking and maintenance facilities, taxiways and parking for visitors, tenants and staff. In addition to privately-owned aircraft, this facility accommodates Saudia’s special flight services group. It's also home to Al-Salam Aircraft Corporation. Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) on Royal Saudi Air Force aircraft is performed at the uniquely designed facility.
Structure and facilities
Airport infrastructure [4] Infrastructure details for King Khalid International Airport Aspect Details Runways 2 Runway length 4,205 m (13,796 ft) Runway width 60 m (197 ft) Runway shoulders 7.5 m (25 ft) x 2 Runway paved blast pads 120 m (394 ft) x 2 Taxiway width 23 m (75 ft) Taxiway shoulders 13 m (43 ft) x 2 Cross taxiway width 28 m (92 ft) Cross taxiway shoulders 14.5 m (48 ft) x 2 Large-sized aircraft stands 20 + 12 royal terminal Small-sized aircraft stands 22 Cargo aircraft stands 4 (Large) General aviation stands 36 Helipads 1 Royal terminal Air Traffic Control Tower
Centrally located in the passenger terminal complex, between the Royal Pavilion and the mosque is the air traffic control tower standing at 81 metres (266 ft) high.
There are 19 separate floor levels in the tower, including the operations area at the base of the tower and a total of 1,230 square metres (13,200 sq ft) of floor space. Six of the 19 floors are considered main floors. These include the operational level at the base of the tower, two equipment floors, an observation floor, a service floor and the cab floor at the top of the tower from which the air traffic controllers overlook the entire airport. The operations floor houses the radar control center for the airport as well as conference rooms, offices and a training area. The two equipment level contain mechanical and electrical equipment and cables, and the service floor contains a kitchen, lounge and lavatories for personnel on duty in the cab. The cab itself contains controller operating positions and electronic and communications equipment. The tower is supplied with two sources of standby power should the regular source of power be interrupted. Once source is the standby power supply at the central power plant – three diesel engine generators. In addition, a 300 kilowatt diesel engine located in the tower itself can provide a secondary source of emergency power. The tower is outfitted with the most advanced electronic radar systems and data processing equipment available.
Inter-terminal connectivity
Passengers going from one terminal to another at King Khalid International Airport can utilize moving sidewalks for transportation. The moving walkways, the first to be installed at any Saudi airport, are located in the three link buildings that connect the International and Domestic terminals.
There is a total of 1,196 metres (3,924 ft) of the walkways, which are actually wide conveyor belts which operate at floor level and move at a speed of close to 1 metre per second (2.2 mph).
Additional passenger conveniences in the terminal complex include 80 elevators and escalators. In the parking garages, 16 escalators are provided and two serve the mosque.
The elevators, escalators and moving walkways all have the latest safety equipment installed. Should a fire occur, the elevators would automatically be recalled to the main floors and the doors opened. The escalators and moving sidewalks are equipped with fire and smoke detectors which will cause them to stop automatically should a fire be detected.
Airbridges
KKIA was the first airport in the Kingdom to install airbridges, to speed up handling and turnaround times. Each terminal has eight gates with airbridges effectively eliminating the need for bus journeys between the terminal buildings and waiting aircraft.
The Masjid
King Khalid Airport Masjid in Riyadh
The design of KKIA Mosque is one of the most distinct landmarks in the airport by virtue of its Islamic architecture. It can accommodate 5,000 worshipers inside and another 5,000 in the plaza outside. Its location in the center of the passenger terminal establishes it as the most important structure on the airport and makes it the first sight visitors see as they leave the arrival area. The dome is 33 metres (108 ft) in diameter and towers 40 metres (130 ft) above the arrivals level roadway, higher than all of the other structures in the passenger complex with the exception of the control tower and minaret.
In the northeast corner of the mosque plaza, a minaret rises 39 metres (128 ft) above the plaza level. A spiral stairway inside the minaret provides access to loudspeakers that broadcast the daily five times call prayers. There are 5,030 square metres (54,100 sq ft) of floor space on the main floor of the mosque and another 765 square metres (8,230 sq ft) on the mezzanine floor. A Koranic library off of the main mosque floor has 50 square metres (540 sq ft) of user space and the same amount for storage space. The library, private offices and lavatories are located along the southeast on southwest walls.
Landscaping
KKIA has more than 500,000 square metres (5,400,000 sq ft) of landscaping. Over 225,000 trees, vines, shrubs and ground cover plants were used to landscape the airport site and the interior courtyards. A factor in the landscape design was the limited availability of irrigation water. All of the plants selected for the site are tolerant of heat, wind and dry soil conditions. Wherever possible, plants with a history of successful growth in the Riyadh area or similar environments were selected.
Safety
This facility has five separate Fire Houses, with several modern fire fighting vehicles, and trained firefighters. The location also has security equipment and a security force.
Parking Facilities
Two large three-level garages have been constructed directly in front of the passenger terminals, one on either side of the airport mosque. They are connected to the terminals and to the mosque by pedestrian walkways under the arrivals level roadway. The design capacity of the garages is 11,600 vehicles. The garages are built of cast-in-place concrete and each covered level is 4 metres (13 ft) high. Escalators and elevators are available in these garages, as well as stairways between the different levels.
Traffic statistics
The airport has had steadily increasing passenger numbers.[5]
Statistics for King Khalid International Airport Year Total Passengers Total Aircraft Movements 1998 8,055,000 70,909 1999 8,234,000 73,336 2000 8,411,000 74,945 2001 8,737,000 75,535 2002 9,045,000 75,623 2003 9,168,000 74,600 2004 9,911,000 77,327 2005 10,573,000 84,555 2006 11,017,000 94,250 2007 11,783,000 112,210 2008 11,540,000 114,429 2009 12,674,000 127,666 2010 ESTIMATE 13,919,000 134,616 Accidents and incidents
- On 19 August 1980, Saudia Flight 163 operating Karachi-Riyadh-Jeddah, was completely destroyed by fire at Riyadh airport with the loss of all people on board the L-1011 Tristar.
- On 8 May 2009, Saudia MD-90 registration HZ-APW performing ferry flight SV-9061 from Jeddah to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) with 8 crew on board attempted to exit onto high speed turnoff resulting in the left main gear to collapse and the airplane resting on the left wing. The crew evacuated through the front door slides. No injuries occurred, the airplane however received substantial damage to its left wing.
- On 27 July 2010 at 11:38 local time, Lufthansa Cargo Flight 8460, an MD-11 registered D-ALCQ, crashed upon landing at King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and was damaged beyond repair in the ensuing fire. The Pilot in command and the First Officer — the only two persons on board — could leave the aircraft by themselves.[6][7][8]
References
- ^ [1] @ A-Z World Airports Online
- ^ Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites
- ^ Document Detail for IRISNUM= 00269318 @ Air Force History Index
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3] @ A-Z World Airports Online
- ^ "UPDATE 2-Lufthansa cargo plane crashes at Saudi airport". Reuters. 27 July 2010. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE66Q10Z20100727. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
- ^ "BBC News - Lufthansa cargo plane crashes at Riyadh airport". Bbc.co.uk. 2010-03-27. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-10772817. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
- ^ Flight 8460 at the Aviation Safety Network
General Authority for Civil Aviation
External links
- King Khalid International Airport
- Airport information for OERK at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- Airport information for OERK at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).
- Current weather for OERK at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for RUH at Aviation Safety Network
Categories:- Airports in Saudi Arabia
- Riyadh
- Space Shuttle landing sites
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