✈️ Saudi Dual-Hub Business Aviation Traffic Halved Year-Over-Year, April Posts Strong Month-Over-Month Rebound
Avi-Go data shows that combined business aviation movements at Riyadh (OERK) and Jeddah (OEJN) totaled 795 operations in April 2026, a significant year-over-year decline of 42.3% compared to 1,378 operations in April 2025. However, the month-over-month trend showed a clear turning point: relative to 621 operations in March 2026, overall April traffic rebounded approximately 28%. Riyadh's recovery was particularly pronounced, with a month-over-month increase of 34.1% (343→460 operations), while Jeddah also rose 20.5% month-over-month (278→335 operations), with Riyadh's recovery pace as a political and commercial hub clearly leading. Aircraft mix further confirms Saudi Arabia's high-end market preference — the Gulfstream G450 ranked first at both airports, reaching 91 operations in Riyadh and 52 in Jeddah for the month, with the BBJ also placing in the top three at both locations, leaving the dominance of large long-range aircraft types unchanged. Notably, Muscat (OOMS) business aviation movements declined 37.1% year-over-year to 90 operations during the same period, with no evident absorption of diverted traffic, indicating that Gulf regional business aviation as a whole remains in a contraction cycle rather than experiencing a structural shift toward any single hub.
Impact: Riyadh's month-over-month rebound leads the region, and FBOs and operators with ground support and crew positioning resources deployed at OERK should reassess whether capacity configurations put in place since April are sufficient to handle a potential sustained recovery. Against the backdrop of a sharp year-over-year decline, charter brokers reliant on the Saudi market continue to face considerable uncertainty in pricing and route planning.
Recommendation: Operators and FBOs may closely track weekly OERK movement data between May and June 2026; if positive month-over-month growth is sustained for two consecutive weeks, a phased restoration of ground service staffing levels previously reduced due to demand contraction may be considered. For charter quotations targeting the Saudi market, it is advisable to retain flexible pricing clauses during the current phase and defer locking in long-term contract rates until year-over-year data stabilizes.