JEDDAH: The General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) will issue the license for a new private passenger airline company in the middle of 2010 if required. “GACA is currently monitoring the operations of the new private airline companies Nas and Sama and will approve one more operator if the domestic air transport sector needs it,” Asharq Al-Awsat daily quoted Abdullah Ruhaimy, president of GACA, as saying.
Ruhaimy said in an interview with the Arabic daily published yesterday that a major problem faced by the industry in the Kingdom, as in other countries, was the challenge to the safety of both aircraft and passengers. Effective steps have been taken to counter the problem. “GACA is currently working on laying down a separate security system for each airport in the Kingdom. A royal order has been issued for a national project for integrated security and the protection of airports,” Ruhaimy said.
The authority will appoint one of the best consultancy firms in the world to prepare security studies and produce security specifications for the Saudi air sector, the civil aviation chief said.
“GACA is currently studying bids from five international consultancy firms to lay down the technical statutes that would ensure maximum safety for the Kingdom’s airports and aircraft in line with international safety standards,” he said.
The authority is temporarily following the technical regulations of the US federal civil aviation administration. The arrangement will continue until the executive statutes of GACA are in place, he said.
The construction of new airports or developing some of them into international airports is subject to several conditions. It will follow strategies evolved after detailed studies including the needs of the region, population, economic and social activities, investment potential and operation and maintenance cost and the geographical position.
“GACA has already submitted proposals for the construction of new airports in a number of commercially strategic areas,” he said. He added that Prince Muhammad Airport in Madinah became an international airport two years ago and has been operating profitably. However, international flights are operated from several domestic airports at special times such as the beginning and end of school vacations.
The renovation project at Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA), scheduled to be completed in 2012, includes new passenger lounges where all airlines, including Saudi Arabian Airlines, will operate under one roof and will be capable of handling 30 million passengers annually in the initial phase and 80 million at the final stage. Conveyor machines in the lounges will carry passengers to departure lounges. It will also have 74 air-bridges to serve aircraft of varying sizes including the latest Airbus 380 model, a 25,000-space car park and a cargo complex capable of handling 3 million tons annually, the official added.
