Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) is making a significant move to open up the domestic private aviation market to international operators.

Starting 1 May 2025, foreign charter operators can apply to operate domestic flights within the kingdom, following specific requirements set by GACA.

This decision is part of GACA’s broader strategy to boost the private jet market and establish Saudi Arabia as a general aviation hub. The authority aims to develop the general aviation sector into a $2 billion industry by 2030, supporting 35,000 jobs.

To achieve this goal, GACA has launched a comprehensive transformation program, which includes:

• Establishing new infrastructure: Six dedicated business aviation airports and nine dedicated business aviation terminals will be built across the kingdom.
• Increasing business aviation capacity: The number of business aviation fixed-base operators and maintenance, repair, and overhaul capacity for business jets will be increased.
• Enhancing competition and investment: The removal of cabotage restrictions is expected to attract foreign investment and provide greater flexibility for operators in the general aviation industry.

“GACA is unlocking new opportunities for the global aviation industry, by removing restrictions on charter flight businesses to operate domestically in the Kingdom. This regulatory decision supports GACA’s roadmap to establish Saudi Arabia as a general aviation hub, alongside an unprecedented infrastructure program to establish new private airports and terminals across the kingdom.” – Imtiyaz Manzary, General Manager for General Aviation at GACA.

Saudi Arabia’s business jet sector has already seen significant growth, with a record 24% jump in flight volumes in 2024 to 23,612 flights.

This move is expected to further boost the sector’s growth and establish Saudi Arabia as a major player in the global aviation industry. Watch this space!

Also read: Forget first class, it’s all about private jet class