King Abdulaziz International Airport (IATA: JED, ICAO: OEJN; colloquially referred to as Jeddah Airport, Jeddah International Airport, or KAIA) is a major international airport serving the cities of Jeddah and Mecca in Saudi Arabia, located 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of Jeddah and covering an area of 112 square kilometres (43 sq mi). In terms of annual passenger count, the airport is consistently the busiest in Saudi Arabia and one of the busiest in the Middle East, owing partly to its unique role in the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Opened in 1981, it was built to replace the now-demolished Jeddah International Airport located in Al-Kandarah, and is named after the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz. The airport shares its airfield with the RSAF King Abdullah Air Base, and has a royal terminal and three operational passenger terminals, including a Hajj Terminal built exclusively to handle increased traffic during the pilgrimage season. It serves as the largest hub for Saudia, the Saudi flag carrier, and as an operating base for national low-cost carriers Flynas and Flyadeal.