In continuation with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) efforts to provide the best electronic services and to further work on the development of these services in accordance with the latest technological methods and keeping with the latest development, the General Authority of Civil Aviation in collaboration with Meras Platform has launched the first phase of economic licensing services related to air transport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This achieved through an electronic link for the issuance procedures of GACA licenses via the platform. The initiative aim is to enable investors to apply for economic licenses through Meras platform, which is connected to GACA portal within minutes. Moreover, investors would be able to follow-up on their requests without the need to address anyone in the civil aviation authority personally. This is in addition to the reduction of the time it takes to issue the licenses from 60 to just 15 days. GACA is working to automate all services provided by the Economic Licensing and link it to Meras platform. Meras platform will provide in its first phase of economic licensing services related to air transport in the Kingdom, national air carrier's license for scheduled passenger flights. The aforementioned license will give entities the right to carry out scheduled passengers operation inside and outside the Kingdom. The platform also provides a licensing service to the national air carrier for an unscheduled passenger's flights. This gives entities the right to carry out non-scheduled passengers flights inside and outside the Kingdom. This is in addition to aircraft operational leasing licensing services. The license gives entities the right to perform aircraft leasing with an operator for the purpose of passenger transport for aircraft with seating capacity of no more than 56 with a maximum take-off weights of 75,000 Kg. The platform also provides economic licensing service for aerial photography activities. The license is meant for specializing in aerial photography, where they can perform their activities within the Kingdom. This is in addition to providing Air Cargo Transport for specified and unspecified schedule. This license grants entities the right to conduct air cargo transport for scheduled and unscheduled cargo movement inside and outside the Kingdom. It is worth mentioning that GACA is seeking to provide easier working procedures and better service to investors in the sector, in light of its regulatory and supervisory role in the civil aviation sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The aim is to facilitate the steps taken by investors according to the latest development in the aviation industry and in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
