Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) officially granted an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to Riyadh Air, clearing the way for the new national carrier to begin commercial operations.

According to a recent press release, this certification confirms Riyadh Air’s full compliance with Saudi regulations, international aviation standards, and flight safety protocols under the Chicago Convention. It follows a thorough 11-month process that includes technical audits, inspections, and over 200 hours of test flights led by a team of Saudi aviation safety experts.

The milestone was marked at an official ceremony attended by Saleh Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics and Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, GACA President, who presented the certificate to Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas.

Commenting on this, Douglas said: "Obtaining the Air Operator Certificate is an important milestone in the company's journey. It is the result of the efforts of many employees at Riyadh Air. Today, we can proudly say that Riyadh Air is now an airline with an operational license to transport our traveling guests, and we are ready to begin operations later in 2025."

The announcement comes as Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector sees record-breaking growth. In 2024, passenger traffic surged to over 128 million, a 15% increase year-on-year and 25% above pre-pandemic levels. Flights rose by 11% to more than 905,000, while air cargo jumped 34% to reach 1.2 million tons.