Saudi Arabia set to open domestic charter market to foreign operators on May 1

Saudi Arabia is set to open its domestic private aviation market to foreign operators starting on May 1, 2025, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

The Kingdom will remove cabotage restrictions on foreign on-demand charter flights within the country, the authority said in a statement published in February.

The new policy will allow foreign charter operators to apply for permission to operate domestic flights, following specific requirements set by GACA.

According to the release, the removal of cabotage restrictions marks an important step in GACA’s strategy to enhance competition, attract foreign investment, and provide greater flexibility for operators in the general aviation industry.

“GACA is unlocking new opportunities for the global aviation industry, by removing restrictions on charter flight businesses to operate domestically in the Kingdom,” GACA General Manager for General Aviation Imtiyaz Manzary said.

“This regulatory decision supports GACA’s roadmap to establish Saudi Arabia as a general aviation hub, alongside an unprecedented infrastructure program to establish new private airports and terminals across the Kingdom,” he added.

GACA’s General Aviation Roadmap was launched during the Future Aviation Forum in May 2024, and includes a comprehensive transformation program to develop the general aviation sector into a $2 billion industry by 2030, supporting 35,000 jobs.

The roadmap aligns infrastructure planning and regulations across the sector, delivering six dedicated business aviation airports and a further nine dedicated business aviation terminals.

It will also increase the number of business aviation fixed-base operators and maintenance, repair and overhaul capacity for business jets.