He told Al-Eqtisadiah daily that the move was to ensure air safety.

Eighty percent of pilgrims use air travel and the busiest airports transporting them are King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah and Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz Airport in Madinah. According to government statistics there has been a decrease in pilgrims traveling via land and sea recently.

Furthermore, the GACA confirmed that airline companies wishing to operate in the Kingdom must present reasons why they had been banned and what measures they have taken to overcome them in compliance with all aviation safety requirements and measures that govern air travel.

All files and documents related to the airplanes must be submitted to Aviation Administration Standards, after a written agreement has been obtained from the Regulations Department.

The GACA also requires that all airline companies that do not normally operate regular commercial flights to Saudi Arabia according to bilateral or commercial agreements and wish to operate during the Haj period should present financial guarantees to the authority from a local bank.

The authority also has the right to deduct from this amount any expenses incurred in transporting pilgrims and any luggage left behind by the operating airline, as well as any other costs due to a breach of contract or regulations.

It also stressed that the financial guarantee should be valid for six months starting from the commencement date of pilgrim flights.