Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has granted an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) to Riyadh Air, officially authorising the airline to begin commercial flight operations.
The certification follows an 11-month evaluation process, including extensive audits and over 200 hours of test flights, confirming Riyadh Air’s compliance with national and international safety standards. The airline is expected to launch flights later in 2025.
Backed by plans to serve 100+ destinations by 2030 and a fleet of 132+ aircraft, Riyadh Air is forecast to contribute $19.9 billion to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP and create over 200,000 jobs.
The licence comes amid rapid aviation growth in the Kingdom, with 2024 passenger traffic surpassing 128 million, up 15% year-on-year, and cargo volume rising 34% to 1.2 million tons.
