GCC-wide aviation body launched as one-stop travel entry begins

Dubai: A unified GCC Civil Aviation Authority was announced by Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi on Wednesday during the 46th GCC Summit in Bahrain.

The decision follows recommendations from the GCC Executive Committee for Civil Aviation in Kuwait City, where a single authority, Unified Upper Airspace, and Advanced Air Mobility projects were proposed for endorsement by the GCC Supreme Council.

GCC countries host more than 23 international airports and operate 17 national airlines, six of which rank among the top 50 worldwide for 2024. Moreover, GCC airlines carried around 68 million passengers in 2023. ​

A pilot phase of the GCC ‘one-stop’ travel system was kicked off between the UAE and Bahrain earlier this week, allowing GCC citizens to move without repeating entry procedures.

Officials indicated the system will gradually extend to all member states, streamlining regional travel. That said, no specific timeline has been publicly confirmed for the Supreme Council’s decision or the full operational rollout.

The initiative is part of broader GCC efforts to harmonise civil aviation policies, update legislation, unify operating systems, and implement advanced technologies across the region.

Further legislative work and alignment between member states' aviation authorities will likely be needed before full implementation. The GCC-wide common aviation structure is said to be modeled around the EU's Single European Sky model.

Al Budaiwi also said that member states had approved amendments to several articles within the Unified VAT and Excise Tax Agreement.

In addition, the leaders also endorsed the launch of the GCC Industrial Platform, a new initiative aimed at boosting regional manufacturing and economic competitiveness.

On the social and legislative front, Al Budaiwi said the summit approved a unified legislative drafting guide for member states, alongside expanded anti-corruption frameworks through new GCC-wide integrity manuals.

The bloc also adopted several resolutions within the Human Rights Council and approved dedicated Gulf Weeks for financial and administrative oversight as well as for the protection of religious values.