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, and Arabian Bechtel Company Limited served as the Construction Manager on behalf of the Saudi government.
This airport consists of 4 passenger terminals (only three of which are in use) with eight aero-bridges each, a mosque, covered and uncovered parking for 11,600 vehicles, a Royal Terminal (for VIPs and Saudi Royal family use), a central control tower (one of the world's tallest), and two parallel runways, which are each 4,205 metres (13,796 ft) long. The land area allocated for this airport is among the largest in the world.
This airport was constructed to meet the increasing international and local air transport requirements for Riyadh. The airport that KKIA replaced, Riyadh Airport (close to the city center), is now a Royal Saudi Air Force airbase. King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) opened for operations in late 1982.
This airport was an alternative landing site for NASA's Space Shuttle.
Read more about King Khalid International Airport: History, Terminals, Airlines and Destinations, Structure and Facilities, Traffic Statistics, Accidents and Incidents
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“Airplanes are invariably scheduled to depart at such times as 7:54, 9:21 or 11:37. This extreme specificity has the effect on the novice of instilling in him the twin beliefs that he will be arriving at 10:08, 1:43 or 4:22, and that he should get to the airport on time. These beliefs are not only erroneous but actually unhealthy.”
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