Saudi Arabia to grow general aviation industry

Riyadh: The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) is set to unveil a roadmap for the General Aviation sector at the 2024 Future Aviation Forum (FAF 2024) in May, with a goal of increasing its GDP to $2 billion by 2030.

The roadmap covers the business jet segment, including charter, private, and corporate jets, and will support Saudi Arabia’s development as a global high-value business and tourist destination.

In October 2023, Saudi Arabia revised its 2030 tourism target upwards from 100 to 150 million visitors by 2030.

President of GACA, Abdulaziz-Al Duailej said, “General aviation is vital to growing high-value sectors of the Saudi economy, including tourism, business and entertainment events. The General Aviation roadmap will turbocharge the sector within the Kingdom, transforming infrastructure and regulations, simultaneously developing, promoting and enhancing general aviation services in the market.

“GACA looks forward to hosting general aviation investors, operators and service providers at the Future Aviation Forum in May, where we will launch this ambitious plan to global audiences.”

The roadmap will support private aviation aircraft owners, lessors, investors, operators and service providers through coordinated infrastructure investment and regulatory streamlining.

The announcement follows GACA’s removal of ‘empty-leg restrictions’ and simplification of economic license requirements for operators and investors in October 2023, to boost the general aviation sector.

FAF 2024 returns to Riyadh from 20-22 May 2024, bringing together 5,000 experts and aviation leaders from over 100 countries, including ministers, regulators, manufacturers, airlines, and airports.

-B