Jeddah airport ranks “second worst” airport in the world

JEDDAH: Jeddah airport tops the charts for worst airports in the world according to the General Authority of Civil Avition (GACA). The website says “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports.”

SleepingInAirports conducts a survey asking travellers to rate their airport experiences based on the services and facilities available within the terminal, cleanliness, customer service, comfort and their overall airport experience.

Khalid Al-Khaibari, GACA’s spokesman, dismissed the rating as “unscientific”, “not based on studies or specified standards”.

“King Abdul Aziz International Airport has all the services needed. We don’t deny there are some negatives that we hope will be removed when the new airport begins operating in the middle of next year,” he said.

“The Haj and Umrah complex at the airport receives and says farewell to more than 1.7mn pilgrims on more than 4,000 flights over a span of only eight weeks,” he said.

But according to the website. “Though JED continually promises that ‘next year’ travelers will see a new terminal, clean toilets and more amenities, a semblance of organization has yet to appear. Instead, when the passengers arrive at Jeddah’s Haj Terminal, they walk into a terminal where cleanliness is but a mythical concept.”

The website said, the place is said to be staffed by a team of immigration officers described as “careless,” “arrogant” and “rude,” and amenity-wise, the terminal is devoid of restaurants, shopping and entertainment.