Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation regulator has authorised Dubai-based VistaJet to offer domestic services in the kingdom, making it the first international private jet operator to enter the local market.
The move reflects Saudi Arabia’s push to attract investments and contribute to the sector’s development, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) said in a statement yesterday.
“This step will foster greater competition, stimulate sector growth, and raise the quality of services for private aviation customers in the kingdom and across the region,” Awad Alsulami, executive vice-president for economic policies and logistics services at Gaca, said.
VistaJet, part of Vista Global Holding, an international private aviation group, is headquartered at the DIFC and founded by Swiss billionaire Thomas Flohr.
VistaJet’s entry into the Saudi Arabian market comes after the country lifted cabotage restrictions for on-demand charter companies, which came into effect on May 1.
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