Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced that it has granted VistaJet, a company specializing in private aircraft operations, a foreign operator certificate, making it the first foreign private aviation company to obtain this certificate to operate domestic flights in the Kingdom.
The certificate was granted under GACA's decision to allow foreign private aircraft operators to conduct "on-demand" flights within the Kingdom starting May 1, 2025, after the company met all the requirements and standards set out in the executive regulations of the Civil Aviation Law, according to a press release published on the website of Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation.
GACA's Executive Vice President for Economic Policies and Logistics Services, Awad bin Atallah Al-Sulami, explained that issuing the air operator certificate to the company, as the first foreign private aircraft operator in the Kingdom to operate domestically, is an important step toward developing private aviation services in the Kingdom, fostering greater competition and stimulating the sector's growth, as well as raising the quality of services.
Issuing the air operator certificate to the company is one of the main pillars for achieving the targets of the Aviation Program stemming from the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to make the Kingdom's aviation sector the first in the Middle East by 2030 and to transform the Kingdom into a global logistics platform connecting three continents, as private aviation is a key contributor to business and tourism from within and outside the Kingdom.
VistaJet will begin its operations within the Kingdom in a strategic step reflecting the Kingdom's vision of attracting high-quality investments and strengthening its position in the global aviation industry, contributing to developing the sector and raising its competitiveness regionally and internationally. GACA's issuance of this certificate embodies its commitment to applying the highest safety standards.
The certificate also represents a step toward enhancing the experience of private aviation users and ensuring quality, alongside the authority's continuous efforts to provide an attractive investment environment and offer various forms of support to enable civil aviation sector activities, contributing to achieving the Aviation Program's targets.
It also consolidates the authority's role as the regulator of the air transport industry in the Kingdom, by building quality partnerships with various relevant entities, enhancing the sector's capabilities and raising performance efficiency in support of Saudi Vision 2030.
To view the post on the website of Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation, click here.
