RIYADH — The Saudi Air Navigation Services Company (SANS) has announced that the year 2021 was the safest year in history for the company's operations in managing the Saudi airspace.

In a statement, the company said the unlimited support the transport sector enjoys from the leadership and the follow-up of the Minister of Transport, Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser, and the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, had a great impact on making this achievement.

The statement added that, in 2017, the company began developing an ambitious plan to enhance the safety culture in the company, through the early preparation and forecasting of air traffic, qualification and training of national staff from the company's employees, proactive follow-up and safety assurance measures to pinpoint errors and address them before they occur. The new navigational systems that the company has introduced into service are considered one of the most modern global navigation systems, the statement said.

According to SANS, the total air traffic amounted to more than 485,305 internal, external, and transit flights, which were efficiently managed by 649 Saudi air traffic controllers, including 25 female Saudi air traffic controllers working around the clock in the various air control units in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which amount to 17 control units.

The Saudi Air Navigation Services Company has made various achievements in 2021, most notably obtaining the 5th place award globally in the field of safety, winning the Excellence and Innovation Award at the Middle East level, and completing the modernization of navigation systems in the air control centers in Jeddah and Riyadh and control towers in the Kingdom’s various regions. — SPA