News

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) held today the 13th meeting of the Steering Committee for the implementation of the National Aviation Sector Strategy. The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, President of GACA, and attended by Vice Presidents, CEOs, executives, and senior managers from national airlines and aviation sector entities. The meeting took place in the city of Abha, in the Asir region.

In his opening remarks, Al-Duailej stated that the Kingdom’s civil aviation sector has continued its strong operational performance. Following record-breaking numbers in 2023, the sector maintained its upward trajectory during the first half of 2024. Passenger numbers rose by 17%, reaching 62 million, while flights increased by 12% to 446,000. Air cargo volume also saw a significant 41% surge, reaching 606,000 tons by the end of June.

He added that Abha International Airport recorded a 12% growth in passenger traffic and a 3% increase in flights during the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in the previous year, with a total of 15,442 flights. This growth reinforces Asir’s positioning as a global destination aligned with the Kingdom’s national strategies, including the Asir Strategy “Qimam wa Shem,” and the National Aviation Strategy, which aims to increase destinations to 250 and passengers to 330 million annually. It also supports the goals of the National Tourism Strategy.

He highlighted the airport’s master plan, launched by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, which aims to boost the airport’s capacity from 1.5 million to 13 million passengers annually. Over 100 companies have expressed interest in participating in this ambitious project, to be delivered through a public-private partnership model.

During the meeting, Al-Duailej also reviewed GACA’s efforts during the 1445H Hajj season. He noted that the aviation sector played a key role in delivering a safe and seamless experience for pilgrims arriving by air, who made up 97% of all Hajj pilgrims. The season also witnessed the first air taxi trial in the Kingdom, supervised by GACA in Makkah, as well as the issuance of the world’s first license for this type of aircraft. In addition, GACA granted the first operating permit for using drones to clean building façades—further demonstrating its commitment to enabling safe and innovative advanced air mobility solutions.

The meeting also reviewed the latest updates on implementing the National Aviation Strategy, follow-ups on the recommendations from the 12th steering committee meeting, and the progress made by national carriers and aviation companies in aligning their corporate strategies with sector-wide goals and priorities.

On the sidelines of the meeting, His Excellency Al-Duailej presented an economic license to the CEO of the Saudi Ground Services Company. The license was granted to one of SGS’s subsidiaries—Ground Services Travel & Tourism—for operating as a commercial agent for aviation services.

The National Aviation Strategy aims to significantly increase capacity to accommodate more than 330 million passengers annually and connect to over 250 destinations worldwide by 2030. It also targets raising cargo capacity to 4.5 million tons by the same year.