Saudi Shura Council calls for revising air transport taxes

Abu Dhabi: The 150-member Saudi Shura Council has demanded air transport fees and taxes be revised to encourage airlines to cut ticket prices and operate more domestic and international flights.

The Shura Council’s Transportation, Communications and Information Technology Committee approved recommendations by members of the House, and demanded that Civil Aviation Authority review the fees and taxes currently applied to the air transport sector.

The panel also demanded revising the fees levied on travellers accompanying executive office members, to enable the largest possible number of travellers and national airline companies to benefit from the services provided by the Civil Aviation Authority.

The committee headed by engineer Nasser Ghazi Al Shaibani, called on the authority to encourage airlines to operate direct flights from suburbs to downtown Medina to meet needs of citizens and residents, and to offer more discounts on the prices of domestic and foreign flight tickets for the elderly, and people of determination.

The recommendations that the council will vote on next Wednesday included a re-examination of the general aviation situation to facilitate the procedures for registering aircraft, issuing validity certificates, landing permits, reviewing the procedures and standards currently in place.

Also recommended are adopting airports standards for public aviation within the national aviation strategy, and demanding the expansion and increase in the number of prayer rooms within the departure halls in the Kingdom’s domestic, regional and international airports.