GACA - General Authority of Civil Aviation - Saudi Arabia

The Emergence of the General Authority of Civil Aviation The debut of the civil aviation in the Kingdom goes back to the year 1354 A.H. corresponding to 1934 A.D. when one of the petrol companies that has later become part of ARAMCO Services Company has established a desert runway next to Jubail city. The Kingdom owned its first civil aircraft in the year 1364 A.H. corresponding to 1945 A.D. of the model (DC-3 Dakota) to which two other aircrafts of the same model were added at a later stage. The first civil aviation rule in the Kingdom was issued in the year 1372 A.H. corresponding to 1953 A.H. Upon its separation from the Saudi Royal Air Force, the Presidency of Civil Aviation used to have under its wing the Saudi Arabian Airlines & the Meteorology Department, until the Saudi Arabian Airlines was separated from the Presidency of Civil Aviation in the year 1379 A.H. corresponding to 1960 A.D., and that was transformed in the year 1383 A.H. corresponding to 1963 A.D. to an independent public institution. In the year 1386 A.H. corresponding to 1966 A.D., the Meteorology Department was separated from the Presidency of Civil Aviation and its budget has become independent. In the year 1397 A.H. corresponding to 1977 A.D., the name of the Presidency of Civil Aviation has been amended into the General Authority of Civil Aviation. During these years, the Kingdom has achieved unprecedented growth and quality leaps in the civil aviation domain and industry that covered major developments in passengers' transportation, air cargo, airports construction and equipments, air navigation and control.