Abha International Airport

Abha International serves the highland capital of Saudi Arabia's Asir region and is the kingdom's highest-elevation commercial airport at 2,090 m (6,858 ft) — a density-altitude profile that forces full-length-runway takeoff performance planning on most jets using it. The 3,350 m (10,991 ft) asphalt runway is dimensioned accordingly, and it is this combination of elevation, runway length, and steady growth in inbound tourist traffic tied to the Asir National Park strategy under Vision 2030 that secures AHB's place in the world's 534 largest. About 13 airlines operate 24 routes to 14 destinations (2026), with Saudia anchoring the domestic trunk schedule to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Madinah, and Al Ula, supplemented by flynas, flyadeal, and Nesma Airlines. International service covers Cairo, Istanbul, Dubai, Sharjah, Kuwait, Amman, Khartoum, and Colombo — a network reflecting both outbound Saudi leisure travel and substantial expatriate-worker corridors. Passenger throughput has grown from roughly 1.2M pre-pandemic to around 1.8M, with domestic tourism policy targeting continued expansion. The airport was promoted to full international status in 2020 and its terminal was significantly expanded with new jet bridges and a reconfigured international arrivals hall. AHB also functions as the Royal Saudi Air Force's King Khalid Air Base alternate for southern-sector operations and has been a focal point of Houthi cross-border missile and drone attacks, most notably the June 2019 strike that drew attention to the airport's strategic proximity to the Yemeni frontier roughly 100 km to the south.