JEDDAH – Qatar Airways and Gulf Air – the two foreign airlines given the nod to operate domestic and international flights in Saudi Arabia – may need about three to six months to obtain operating licenses, a spokesman for the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) was quoted as saying. In a statement Saturday, the GACA spokesman said Qatar Airways and Gulf Air were working on final procedures for their operating licenses. GACA announced Friday that Qatar Airways and Bahrain's national carrier Gulf Air had become the first foreign airlines to obtain carrier licenses under which they would be able to run local and international flights in the Kingdom. Fourteen foreign and local companies had applied for the licenses, which mark a major reform of the aviation market in Saudi Arabia, the biggest Arab economy and by far the largest country in the Gulf geographically. Currently, only national carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines and budget airline National Air Services serve a domestic market of about 27 million people. Foreign carriers can only fly in and out of Saudi Arabia, not within the country. Over 54 million passengers passed through Saudi Arabia's 27 airports last year, up 13.6 percent from 2010, according to GACA data. But the Kingdom has one of the smallest airline networks in the region relative to its size, and passengers have complained about the limited range of flights as well as the quality of service. Over the past year, Saudi Arabia has taken steps to liberalize its economy in several areas in an effort to create jobs and diversify away from heavy dependence on oil. For example, it is trying to develop a home mortgage industry. – Reuters
