The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Saudi Arabia’s regulator has invited expression of interest (EOI) from interested parties to establish a Dammam-based low-cost airline through a pre-qualification process. The deadline for submission of EOI is June 8, 2023.
The entities that meet the pre-qualification criteria will be issued with request for proposal documentation which will contain information on the post-qualification criteria, including the technical requirements and data necessary for operations, and information on obtaining an air operator's certificate. The GACA says only one low-cost operator will be selected.
The licence will allow the airline to operate point-to-point domestic flights to any airport in the country from Damman's King Fahd International Airport. The airline will also be permitted to operate international flights from Damman in accordance with existing bilateral air services agreements.
This move by the authorities is a part of part the Saudi Aviation Strategy in an attempt to make the country into an aviation hub.
The potential bidders also need to fulfil a list of criteria like submission of a bank certificate attesting to its financial solvency, details of its annual turnover for the last five years, information on its aviation experience, two thirds of the board of the entity must be Saudi Arabian citizens, entity must be effectively owned and controlled by Saudi Arabian citizens and much more.