RIYADH: All carriers can use Saudi airspace so long as the overflight requirements of the aviation authority are met, the General Authority of Civil Aviation announced early on Friday.
The authority said in a Tweet that “all air carriers that meet the requirements of the Authority for overflying” would be permitted into Saudi airspace, without stating when that ruling would come into force.
US President Joe Biden welcomed the moved soon after it was announced.
The decision came as a result of the Kingdom’s “keenness to fulfill its obligations under the Chicago Convention of 1944, which stipulates non-discrimination between civil aircrafts used in international air navigation,” the authority said in the post.
It said the rule change was designed to “complement the efforts aimed at consolidating the Kingdom’s position as a global hub connecting three continents and to enhance international air connectivity.”
In June 2021 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched a strategy aimed a positioning the Kingdom as a global logistics hub.
The comprehensive program — named National Transport and Logistics Strategy — seeks to improve the capabilities of the air cargo sector by doubling its capacity to more than 4.5 million tons.
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