General Authority of Civil Aviation
Encyclopedia
The General Authority Of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia (GACA) is the national institution of Saudi Arabia
in charge of aviation
and related matters, headquartered in Jeddah
.
GACA emerged from the former Presidency of Civil Aviation that was created when the institution controlling aviation was split into a civil department and the Royal Saudi Air Force
. The Presidency of Civil Aviation was among others also in charge of the Saudi Arabian Airlines
and the Meteorology Department. The Saudi Arabian Airlines was split from the Presidency of Civil Aviation in 1960 and was made an independent public institution in 1963. The Meteorology Department became an independent institution with own budget in 1966. The name of the Presidency of Civil Aviation was changed to General Authority Of Civil Aviation in 1977.
The current president of GACA is Abdullah Al-Rehaimy.
It is the operator of 4 international and 23 domestic airports within the country.
International airports:
Domestic airports (selection):
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in charge of aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
and related matters, headquartered in Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
.
GACA emerged from the former Presidency of Civil Aviation that was created when the institution controlling aviation was split into a civil department and the Royal Saudi Air Force
Royal Saudi Air Force
The Royal Saudi Air Force , is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabian armed forces. The RSAF has developed from a largely defensive military force into one with an advanced offensive capability...
. The Presidency of Civil Aviation was among others also in charge of the Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America...
and the Meteorology Department. The Saudi Arabian Airlines was split from the Presidency of Civil Aviation in 1960 and was made an independent public institution in 1963. The Meteorology Department became an independent institution with own budget in 1966. The name of the Presidency of Civil Aviation was changed to General Authority Of Civil Aviation in 1977.
The current president of GACA is Abdullah Al-Rehaimy.
It is the operator of 4 international and 23 domestic airports within the country.
International airports:
- King Abdulaziz International AirportKing Abdulaziz International AirportKing Abdulaziz International Airport is an aviation facility located 19 km to the north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Named after King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the airport is Saudi Arabia's third largest air facility and busiest airport by passenger. The airport occupies an area of 15 square kilometers...
(KAIA) in JeddahJeddahJeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The... - King Khalid International AirportKing Khalid International AirportKing Khalid International Airport is located north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, designed by the architectural firm HOK.The airport includes the terminals, mosque, the control tower and two parallel runways, each long...
(KKIA in RiyadhRiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a... - King Fahd International AirportKing Fahd International AirportKing Fahd International Airport is located 20 kilometers northwest of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It is the largest airport in the world in terms of land area . The airport's basic infrastructure was complete by the end of 1990, which allowed the Allied forces engaged in the first Gulf War in early...
(KFIA) in DammamDammamDammam is the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, the most oil-rich region in the world. The judicial and administrative bodies of the province and several government departments are located in the city. Dammam is the largest city in the Eastern Province and third largest in Saudi... - Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz AirportPrince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz AirportPrince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport or Prince Mohammad Airport is a regional airport in the western Saudi city of Medina. Opened in 1974, it handles mostly domestic flights, although it has limited scheduled international services to regional destinations such as Cairo, Doha,...
in MedinaMedinaMedina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
Domestic airports (selection):
- Dawadmi Domestic AirportDawadmi Domestic AirportDawadmi Domestic Airport , also known as Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz Domestic Airport , is an airport in Dawadmi, a city in the Riyadh province in Saudi Arabia. It lies in the Najd some west of the town center of Dawadmi. The airport has a single runway in roughly NNW to SSE direction...
- Qassim Regional AirportQassim Regional AirportQassim Regional Airport is an airport in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia.On 26 June 2010 Egypt's AlMasria Universal Airlines became the first international airline to serve the airport to Cairo.-Airlines and destinations:...
- Jizan Regional AirportJizan Regional AirportJizan Regional Airport or King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Airport is an airport in Jizan, Saudi Arabia.-Airlines and destinations:...
- Turaif Domestic AirportTuraif Domestic AirportTuraif Domestic Airport is an airport in Turaif, Saudi Arabia.Its Nearest airports are Arar and Gurayat or Qurayyat-Airlines and destinations:...
- Ha'il Regional AirportHa'il Regional AirportHa'il Regional Airport is an airport in Ha'il, Saudi Arabia.-Airlines and destinations:...
- Bisha Domestic AirportBisha Domestic AirportBisha Domestic Airport is an airport in Bisha, Saudi Arabia.-Airlines and destinations:...
External links
- GACA website (English version), for the Arabic version go to www.gaca.gov.sa