Cairo: Saudi aviation authorities have imposed fines totalling over SR4.5 million on airlines for violating the kingdom’s laws in the first quarter of this year.
The fines, issued by an ad-hoc committee linked to the Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), were for 111 violations committed by entities and individuals. Among these, 92 violations involved air carriers failing to observe passenger rights regulations, resulting in fines amounting to SR4.4 million, according to GACA’s X account.
Other violations included non-compliance with GACA instructions, misconduct aboard flights, and unauthorised drone usage. Saudi Arabia saw record air traffic last year, with a 16 per cent increase in flights from 701,290 to 814,995 and passenger numbers rising from 88 million to 112 million, as revealed by GACA.
The kingdom aims to raise annual air travellers to 330 million by 2030, as stated by a senior aviation official in January. Hussain Al Assaf, General Manager of GACA’s Excellence and Development Department, highlighted that the national aviation strategy seeks to triple current passenger numbers to 330 million per year by 2030.
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This involves expanding infrastructure, building new airports, enhancing operational efficiency, and improving traveller experiences. Recently, Saudi Arabia introduced a “passenger without a bag” service at all its airports, allowing travellers to complete travel procedures from their homes and ship luggage ahead of their flights.
This initiative supports the kingdom’s goal to boost tourism and attract more visitors.
