{"id":89131,"date":"2025-04-07T03:28:34","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T21:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=89131"},"modified":"2025-06-09T19:47:05","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T14:17:05","slug":"riyadh-air-receives-aoc-launch-by-2025-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/07\/riyadh-air-receives-aoc-launch-by-2025-end\/","title":{"rendered":"Riyadh Air Receives AOC from GACA, Eyes to Launch Flights by End of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>RIYADH-<\/strong> The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has officially granted an Air Operator&#8217;s Certificate (AOC) to <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/riyadh-air\/\">Riyadh Air (RX)<\/a>, authorizing the airline to begin commercial flight operations from King Khalid International Airport (RUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This milestone confirms Riyadh Air&#8217;s full compliance with Saudi Arabia&#8217;s aviation regulations, international standards, and flight safety requirements under the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/xsuqfyys-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"Riyadh Air 787\" class=\"wp-image-81961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/xsuqfyys-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/xsuqfyys-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/xsuqfyys-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/xsuqfyys-50x28.webp 50w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/xsuqfyys-1600x900.webp 1600w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/xsuqfyys-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/xsuqfyys-150x84.webp 150w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/xsuqfyys-450x253.webp 450w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/xsuqfyys-1200x675.webp 1200w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/xsuqfyys.webp 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Riyadh Air<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-riyadh-air-gets-aoc\">Riyadh Air Gets AOC<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The AOC issuance follows GACA&#8217;s comprehensive audit of Riyadh Air&#8217;s technical and aircraft systems, operational readiness, equipment, and qualifications of both flight and ground personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GACA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GACA<\/a> has granted the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to the national carrier <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RiyadhAir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RiyadhAir<\/a>, paving the way for the start of its operations. The certificate was issued after the airline met all regulatory requirements and safety standards. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MFjbQXt5Ns\">pic.twitter.com\/MFjbQXt5Ns<\/a><\/p>&mdash; \u0647\u064a\u0626\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0637\u064a\u0631\u0627\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u062f\u0646\u064a (@ksagaca) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ksagaca\/status\/1908865874695512502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 6, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The rigorous certification process extended <strong>over 11 months<\/strong>, involving a dedicated team of 10 Saudi aviation safety inspectors who conducted over 200 hours of test flights to ensure compliance with the highest operational standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas<\/strong> highlighted the significance of this achievement: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>Obtaining the Air Operator Certificate is an important milestone in the company&#8217;s journey. It is the result of the efforts of many employees at Riyadh Air. Today, we can proudly say that Riyadh Air is now an airline with an operational license to transport our traveling guests, and we are ready to begin operations later in 2025.&#8221;<\/p><cite>Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Riyadh-Air-787-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"Riyadh Air Boeing 787\" class=\"wp-image-73520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Riyadh-Air-787-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Riyadh-Air-787-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Riyadh-Air-787-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Riyadh-Air-787-50x28.webp 50w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Riyadh-Air-787-150x84.webp 150w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Riyadh-Air-787-450x253.webp 450w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Riyadh-Air-787-1200x675.webp 1200w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Riyadh-Air-787.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Cl\u00e9ment Alloing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-strategic-growth-plans\">Strategic Growth Plans<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Riyadh Air is projected to serve more than <strong>100 destinations by 2030<\/strong>, supported by an order of over 132 aircraft. The airline will play a critical role in Saudi Arabia&#8217;s economic diversification strategy, with expectations to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contribute approximately $19.9 billion to the Kingdom&#8217;s non-oil GDP<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhance Saudi Arabia&#8217;s position as a global aviation hub<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This operational license follows the earlier issuance of an Economic License to Riyadh Air (RX) in June 2023, completing the regulatory framework necessary for the airline&#8217;s launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LES_7471-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-51513\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LES_7471-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LES_7471-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LES_7471-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LES_7471-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LES_7471-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LES_7471-750x500.jpg 750w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LES_7471-1140x760.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LES_7471.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Dubai Airshow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-saudi-aviation-sector-s-unprecedented-growth\">Saudi Aviation Sector&#8217;s Unprecedented Growth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The certification of Riyadh Air comes amid record-breaking momentum for Saudi Arabia&#8217;s aviation sector. Key 2024 performance indicators include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Passenger traffic increased 15% to exceed 128 million \u2013 approximately 25% above pre-pandemic levels<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flight operations grew 11% to reach over 905,000 annual flights<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Air connectivity expanded 16%, linking the Kingdom to more than 170 global destinations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Air cargo volumes surged 34% to reach 1.2 million tons in total volume<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This robust growth aligns with Saudi Arabia&#8217;s Vision 2030 objectives to diversify the economy and establish the Kingdom as a premier global transportation and logistics hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-about-gaca\">About GACA<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) serves as Saudi Arabia&#8217;s primary regulatory body overseeing all civil aviation activities within the Kingdom. GACA establishes mandatory regulations ensuring air transportation safety, issues certifications for aviation sector employees, and develops air transportation infrastructure according to international standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GACA&#8217;s history began in 1948 with the establishment of the Civil Aviation Authority, which initially included Saudi Arabian Airlines and the Civil Aviation Administration. In 1959, Saudi Arabian Airlines separated from civil aviation, transforming the remainder into the Civil Aviation Directorate. The organization underwent restructuring in 1977 to become the Presidency of Civil Aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Council of Ministers passed a resolution in 2004 renaming the entity from the Presidency of Civil Aviation to GACA. By 2011, GACA achieved independence from the Ministry of Defense. A Royal Decree in 2016 linked GACA to the Ministry of Transport, followed by another decree in 2017 separating GACA&#8217;s regulatory functions from its operational responsibilities to strengthen its position as the Kingdom&#8217;s aviation industry regulator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GACA maintains public legal status with financial and administrative autonomy while organizationally connecting to the Minister of Transport and Logistics Services. A board of directors manages GACA&#8217;s affairs under the chairmanship of the Minister of Transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The organization operates from headquarters in Riyadh and oversees twenty-eight airports across Saudi Arabia\u2014fourteen international and fourteen domestic\u2014serving all regions, cities, and governorates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daayxslx-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"Riyadh Air Boeing 787-9\" class=\"wp-image-81213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daayxslx-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daayxslx-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daayxslx-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daayxslx-50x28.webp 50w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daayxslx-1600x900.webp 1600w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daayxslx-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daayxslx-150x84.webp 150w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daayxslx-450x253.webp 450w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daayxslx-1200x675.webp 1200w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daayxslx.webp 1620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Riyadh Air<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-insider-details-on-launch\">Insider Details on Launch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Riyadh Air faces further delays in its operational launch, now pushed to the fourth quarter of 2025, according to exclusive sources at <em>Aviation A2Z<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The airline originally planned to commence operations in the second quarter of 2025 before announcing a shift to Q3. This latest setback marks the second postponement of the carrier&#8217;s debut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Production delays of <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?s=787\">Boeing 787 Dreamliners<\/a> appear to be the primary cause. Seven Riyadh Air aircraft are currently in various stages of production at Boeing&#8217;s Charleston factory in South Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The airline has committed to powering its 787 fleet with General Electric GEnX-1B engines. The specific aircraft in production include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Line Number 1265 (Variable Number ZF041)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Line Number 1279 (Variable Number ZF042)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>LN 1284 (Variable Number ZF043)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Line Number 1290 (Variable Number ZF044)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Line Number 1300 (Variable Number ZF045)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>LN 1307 (Variable Number ZF046)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Line Number 1312 (Variable Number ZF047)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The current production status shows Boeing processing line numbers 1234 to 1237 in final assembly. Based on the existing backlog, aviation experts anticipate Riyadh Air will receive its first aircraft no earlier than Q4 2025, with potential further delays pushing delivery into 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In preparation for operations, Riyadh Air has leased a 787-9 Dreamliner to serve as a technical and spare aircraft. This leased plane will facilitate essential training for pilots, cabin crew, and technical staff including aircraft engineers and technicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The airline has also secured its ground handling operations through a SAR 500 million contract with Saudi Ground Services Company. The agreement spans three years with provisions for a two-year extension option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join us on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/s\/aviationa2z\" rel=\"nofollow\">Telegram Group\u00a0<\/a>for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMPLdrgsw_-jGAw?hl=en-IN&amp;gl=IN&amp;ceid=IN%3Aen\">Google News<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-aviation-a-2-z wp-block-embed-aviation-a-2-z\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"Uh6stUZOHv\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/09\/riyadh-air-showcase-airbus-a321xlr-spotted-in-full-livery\/\">Riyadh Air Showcase Airbus A321XLR Spotted in Full Livery<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Riyadh Air Showcase Airbus A321XLR Spotted in Full Livery&#8221; &#8212; Aviation A2Z\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/09\/riyadh-air-showcase-airbus-a321xlr-spotted-in-full-livery\/embed\/#?secret=P28yqU4s3s#?secret=Uh6stUZOHv\" data-secret=\"Uh6stUZOHv\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has officially granted an Air Operator&#8217;s Certificate (AOC) to Riyadh Air (RX), authorizing the airline to begin commercial flight operations from King Khalid International Airport (RUH).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":89132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7215,399,6761],"tags":[7811,9093,25245,9218,9216,18518],"class_list":{"0":"post-89131","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-airline-news","8":"category-featured","9":"category-news","10":"tag-riyadh-air","11":"tag-riyadh-air-boeing-787","12":"tag-riyadh-air-careers","13":"tag-riyadh-air-launch","14":"tag-riyadh-air-launch-flights","15":"tag-riyadh-air-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89131"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98896,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89131\/revisions\/98896"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}