The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has officially granted an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) to Riyadh Air, allowing the airline to initiate its commercial flight operations. This certification confirms Riyadh Air’s adherence to Saudi aviation regulations, international norms, and safety standards as per the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

The certification ceremony witnessed the presence of His Excellency Saleh Al-Jasser, the Minister of Transport and Logistics, and His Excellency Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, President of GACA, who presented the certificate to Riyadh Air’s CEO, Mr. Tony Douglas. This event affirms Saudi Arabia’s dedication to enhancing its aviation sector to meet global standards.

GACA highlighted this achievement as a vital step in the Saudi Aviation Strategy, facilitating increased competition and improved travel options for passengers. Riyadh Air aims to operate to over 100 destinations by 2030, with an order of more than 132 aircraft, and is projected to create over 200,000 jobs while injecting approximately $19.9 billion into the non-oil GDP of the Kingdom. This operational license follows an earlier Economic License issued to Riyadh Air in June 2023.

Commenting on the milestone, Mr. Tony Douglas stated: “Securing the Air Operator Certificate is a monumental step in our journey, reflecting the efforts of our outstanding team at Riyadh Air. We are excited to be ready for operations towards the end of 2025.”

The licensing process spanned 11 months, involving initial discussions, formal applications, documentation reviews, site inspections, and final approvals. A specialized team of 10 aviation safety inspectors from GACA conducted over 200 hours of test flights to ensure compliance with stringent operational standards.

This licensing award takes place amidst a remarkable growth phase for Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector, which saw a 15% rise in passenger numbers in 2024, surpassing 128 million, and an 11% increase in total flights, totaling over 905,000.