Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport

Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport (Arabic: مطار الأمير نايف بن عبدالعزيز الدولي) (IATA: ELQ, ICAO: OEGS), formerly Qassim International Airport, is an international airport serving Buraidah, Saudi Arabia.^[2] Located in Buraidah and named after the former Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, it primarily serves the northern provinces of the kingdom. International routes are limited to 9 countries: the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Azerbaijan (seasonal), Bosnia and Herzegovina (seasonal), Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Turkey. Established in 1964,^[3] the airport is owned and operated by the Matarat Holding Company. It was renamed Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport by royal decree by King Abdullah on 5 July 2012 in memory of former Crown Prince Naif who died in June 2012.^[4][3]

Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport
IATA: ELQ ICAO: OEGS
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Matarat Holding Company
Serves	Al-Qassim Province
Location	Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
Elevation AMSL	2,126[1] ft / 648[1] m
Coordinates	26°18′10″N 043°46′26″E
Website	www.matarat.com.sa
Map
ELQ Location of airport in Saudi Arabia
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 15/33 9,843 3,000 Asphalt

Prince Sultan, then crown prince and minister of defense and aviation, launched an expansion project of the royal terminal at the airport in 2003. GACA has spent more than SR300 million on expansion projects since 1964, and the airport continues to undergo further expansion as it consolidates its position as a main aviation hub in Saudi Arabia's central region.^[3][5]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air Arabia	Cairo, Sharjah, Sohag[6]
Air Cairo	Cairo, Sohag
AlMasria Universal Airlines	Cairo
Azerbaijan Airlines	Seasonal charter: Baku[7]
Egyptair	Cairo
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi[8]
flyadeal	Dammam, Jeddah
flydubai	Dubai–International
flynas	Abha, Dammam, Jeddah Seasonal: Sarajevo[9]
Gulf Air	Bahrain
Jazeera Airways	Kuwait City[10]
Nesma Airlines	Cairo, Ha'il
Nile Air	Cairo, Sohag
Pakistan International Airlines	Islamabad, Lahore, Multan[11]
Qatar Airways	Doha[12]
Saudia	Dubai–International, Jeddah, Riyadh
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul[13] Seasonal: Rize[14]

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at ELQ airport. See Wikidata query.

Incidents and accidents

• On 28 May 2005, three military helicopters parked in the airport caught fire, also damaging the buildings next to the hangar. There were no human casualties.^[15]

See also

• List of airports in Saudi Arabia

References

1. "Gassim". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
2. "Google Maps". Google Maps.
3. "Saudi Arabia: Qassim Regional Airport Named After Prince Naif". Eurasia Review. Arab News. 6 July 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
4. "خادم الحرمين الشريفين يسمي مطار القصيم بمطار الأمير نايف مباشر المدي". Al-madina.com. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
5. "اعتماد توسعة مطار الأمير نايف بمليار و250 مليون ريال". Ajel. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
6. "Air Arabia Egypt launches new service between Sohag and Gassim". aaco.org. 22 February 2022.
7. Liu, Jim (21 May 2019). "Azerbaijan Airlines adds Qassim charters in S19". Routesonline. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
8. https://www.etihad.com/en/news/etihad-airways-explores-new-horizons-in-the-middle-east-with-the-launch-of-its-newest-destination ^{[bare URL]}
9. "Bosnia and Herzegovina Aviation News : ✈ Flynas is expanding Sarajevo network !". 22 February 2020.
10. "Jazeera Airways Expands Saudi Service". Routesonline. 8 August 2022.
11. "Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is introducing direct flights to a fifth destination, Burayda, located in northern Saudi Arabia". 7 November 2020.
12. "Qatar Airways to resume operations to Qassim, adds 4 flights to Riyadh". 10 August 2022.
13. "Istanbul New Airport Transition Delayed Until April 5, 2019 (At The Earliest)". 9 April 2019.
14. "TURKISH AIRLINES ADDS SEASONAL RIZE – GASSIM SERVICE FROM JUNE 2024". aeroroutes.com. 19 June 2024.
15. "Three Choppers Catch Fire at Qassim Airport". Arab News. Jeddah. 30 May 2005. Retrieved 15 August 2012.

External links

Media related to Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Regional Airport at Wikimedia Commons