RIYADH — The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) is keen to apply the highest standards of operational safety in the Saudi aviation sector and has been conforming to strict norms in the process.

GACA’s systematic organizational role has enabled it to take many preventive measures to stem the novel coronavirus pandemic and reduce its impact on aviation safety.

GACA ensures the operational safety of national and foreign airlines, as well as the navigation services, airports, ground service providers. It seeks conformity to the highest international standards, and adheres to a strict operational readiness around the clock.

GACA supervises the implementation of laws and regulations by conducting inspection tours that it undertakes at the Kingdom's airports. Some of the inspection tours are scheduled and some are non-scheduled to ensure the safety of the operational movement of airports.

The inspectors inspect the safety of runways and ground corridors, airfield lighting, plane guidance signage and aircraft parking bays. The inspection is performed to ensure the readiness of all airports for any expected or unexpected movement, such as the possibility of an emergency landing of flights in transit over the Kingdom’s airspace, repatriation flights of citizens from abroad, air freight flights, etc.

Furthermore, GACA has worked with the aviation industry to draw up plans to meet many challenges and difficulties in implementing a parking program for suspended aircrafts and to provide technical recommendations to ensure compliance with the requirements for continuity of aircraft validity.

GACA has also allowed the use of the fuselage of some aircraft, intended for passengers, in cargo operations to support medicinal supply and the transport of medical equipment.

All this is effected in accordance with the technical solutions issued by aircraft manufacturers, and to make periodical inspection visits to ensure the safety and quality of implementation.

A team of fire and rescue service standards inspectors visit fire stations at every airport in the Kingdom, with the aim of ensuring compliance with all standards, requirements, and the readiness of the teams in responding to any emergency situation at the airport.

This is in addition of communicating and holding remote meetings with leadership positions in the Kingdom's airports to discuss the needs of airports, follow up on airport supervision of companies operating in the aviation arena, and implementing GACA’s standards.

Meanwhile, as for air operators, aviation safety inspectors conducts inspection tours of national and foreign airlines that include inspecting the crew and maintenance records, as well as ground equipment to ensure that the aviation safety regulations are being followed.

GACA oversees Kingdom's 28 airports, and strives to continue developing safe environments in accordance with the most accurate safety standards. Furthermore, GACA applies regulations, and procedures on air carriers to raise the level of safety of air transport in Saudi Arabia. — SPA