The center near King Abdulaziz Airport, which cost SR220 million to renovate, has been equipped with the latest technology that the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) hopes will improve the running of the Kingdom’s aviation operations.
“The aim of this system is to increase the Kingdom’s air space capacity and ensure utmost levels of safety and fluidity in operations. Air traffic in Saudi Arabia experienced a rapid increase nearing a million in 2009, this was a 22 percent jump when compared to the previous year,” said Abdullah Rehaimi, president of GACA.
“Renovation and improvements was completed on time and I would like to point out that GACA has also not forgotten its investment in its employees and workforce. It has spent its time and effort in training its engineers,” he added.
The Kingdom has two regional offices for air traffic management overlooking flights across the Kingdom. One is located in Jeddah and monitors low-flying aircraft (15,000-29,000 feet above sea level) while the second is in Riyadh and monitors high-flying aircraft (29,000 feet above sea level and above).
During the visit, Prince Fahd also toured GACA’s new building for private airlines costing SR122 million. The new building is divided into three parts and is estimated to house some 50 types of planes. The building is expected to go into full operation sometime in August.
