Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced the granting of a foreign operator certificate to VistaJet to operate on-demand private flights domestically in Saudi Arabia. This makes VistaJet, a company specializing in operating private aircraft, the first foreign private aviation company to obtain such a certificate to operate domestic flights within the Kingdom.

This certificate is granted following the authority’s decision to allow foreign private jet operators to conduct on-demand flights within the Kingdom starting May 1, 2025, after the company fulfills all requirements and standards outlined in the executive regulations of the Civil Aviation Law.

Issuing the air operator certificate to the company is considered one of the key pillars in achieving the objectives of the Aviation Program, which stems from the National Transport and Logistics Strategy. The program aims to position the Kingdom’s aviation sector as the leader in the Middle East by 2030 and transform the Kingdom into a global logistics hub connecting three continents. Private aviation is regarded as a pivotal contributor to the business and tourism sectors both within and outside the Kingdom.

VistaJet will begin operations inside the Kingdom to attract high-quality investments and boost its position in the global aviation industry. This contributes to developing the sector and enhancing its competitiveness regionally and internationally.

GACA's Executive Vice President for Economic Policies and Logistics Awad Al-Sulami said that issuing the air operator certificate is an important step toward developing private aviation services in Saudi Arabia. "It will foster greater competition, stimulate sector growth, and improve service quality," he said.

Issuing this certificate embodies GACA's commitment to applying the highest safety standards and represents a step toward enhancing the quality of private aviation experience. It also aligns with the authority’s ongoing efforts to provide an attractive investment environment and extend various forms of support to enable civil aviation activities.

This, in turn, contributes to realizing the objectives of the Aviation Program and reinforces the authority’s role as a regulator of the air transport industry in the Kingdom by building strategic partnerships with various stakeholders, thereby boosting the sector’s capabilities and improving performance efficiency in support of Saudi Vision 2030.