JEDDAH: Trial operations have started at Arar airport’s new terminal, which saw its first arrival and departure flights take place earlier this week. It is initially being served by flights to and from the capital Riyadh through the national carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines. The trial phase was inaugurated Sunday by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), which is testing systems, identifying technical problems and addressing them before the airport is fully operational. GACA statistics show that 346,000 passengers used Arar airport in 2018. The new terminal can accommodate more than 1 million passengers annually, with an air traffic capacity of 10,000 flights a year. Arar airport serves the Kingdoms Northern Border region and GACA is seeking to develop infrastructure and raise the level of services provided to travelers at the Kingdom’s airports.  Arar’s upgrade will accommodate the growth in demand for air travel by residents of the region and it will provide services at international standards. It is also in line with the Kingdom’s reform plans to achieve economic development in all Saudi regions.  The main travel terminal of the new airport has six travel gates, including two passenger bridges gates that can serve four aircraft at once, and four gates that will serve the airside aircraft parking bays. Inside the terminal there are 10 check-in counters, 12 passport control counters for arrival, and eight counters for departure. There is a 900-seat capacity in the main passenger terminal.