News

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced today that it has awarded two National Charter Air Carrier tenders to alliances led by Jazeera Airways and BeOnd Aviation and. The awards mark an important step toward expanding domestic and international charter services across the Kingdom, supporting GACA’s efforts to increase travel options and enhance service quality for passengers. Charter aviation plays a vital role in meeting seasonal and peak travel demand—particularly during tourism seasons, Hajj and Umrah, public holidays, major sporting events, and international conferences. It also enhances travel flexibility and serves the needs of specialized group and private business travel.

These tender awards support the Aviation Program under the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which is transforming the aviation sector and providing world-class connectivity and travel choices for passengers in support of Vision 2030.

Awad Alsulami, Executive Vice President for Economic Policies & Logistics Services at GACA, stated:
“The Aviation Program is opening the charter market to new operators, driving competition and attracting additional investment into the sector. This tender award marks an important step in diversifying our aviation offering and supporting the sector’s broader transformation, while expanding flexible connectivity options that meet the Kingdom’s growing travel needs.”

GACA had previously opened a public tender inviting companies to submit proposals to establish national charter air carriers in Saudi Arabia. After a comprehensive evaluation of all submissions against regulatory and commercial criteria, GACA selected the two highest-rated proposals. Both alliances include foreign investment with majority Saudi ownership, as required by the tender conditions.

By 2030, the two alliance proposals will deliver a significant increase in charter flight capacity and connectivity, serving 48 domestic and international destinations and adding approximately six million seats per annum to the Kingdom’s aviation system. The two alliances are also expected to create a combined 1,000 jobs and operate a collective fleet of 21 aircraft. Together, the planned services from BeOnd Aviation and Jazeera Airways will provide a substantial uplift in charter offerings, particularly for specialized group and private business travel.

GACA emphasized that the tender outcome reflects its commitment to enabling greater competition, choice and performance for all aviation sector customers, including specialized group and business travellers.

Following the award, the selected alliances will now begin completing the necessary economic and technical licensing procedures required before operations can commence. GACA will continue to oversee all regulatory and compliance processes throughout this phase and, once operations begin, will monitor financial performance, operational standards, and service quality.