“We are awaiting the council’s decision on this proposal,” said Khaled Al-Khaibary, spokesman of the authority.
He said the GACA had received two applications from Saudi companies to operate domestic flights.
“Previously we had received several applications from Saudi and Gulf companies requesting licenses to operate flights in the domestic sector,” Al-Khaibary said in a report carried by Al-Watan Arabic daily.
“GACA wants to open up the Kingdom’s domestic air transport market to find feasible solutions for current problems,” he said.
He said the authority is seeking more foreign airlines to operate international flights from Saudi airports. “We are now working on operating direct flights from Tabuk and Abha to Cairo,” he explained.
Al-Khaibary said finding difficulty to get bookings for international flights has become an issue of the past.
“We have solved this problem by allowing foreign airlines to operate flights from different airports in the Kingdom,” he pointed out.
He said the arrival of new foreign airlines would create job opportunities for Saudis and facilitate optimum use of the Kingdom’s airports. “It will also help passengers to obtain flights to the destinations they want to fly to at any time without restrictions.”
Al-Khaibary said the presence of more foreign airlines would create competition, benefiting passengers. “There is a special department at GACA for the protection of consumers,” he said.
If the flight is delayed by one to two hours, passengers will have the right to receive free drinks. If the delay is for three hours, airlines should give them free meals and if it is six hours they should be given free accommodation.
Saudi Arabian Airlines gave hotel accommodation to several passengers recently due to the delay in its flights, he said. Some airlines have paid compensation to passengers for delays and cancellation of flights.
