Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation has issued an Air Operator Certificate to an Air Arabia-led consortium, clearing the way for a new low-cost carrier based at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The venture, which includes Nesma Group and KUN Holding Company, passed technical, safety, security and operational checks before receiving approval. The airline is planned to serve 81 destinations, with 24 domestic routes and 57 international services, and is expected to carry about 10 million passengers a year by 2030.
The certificate follows the consortium’s earlier selection as the winning bidder for Saudi Arabia’s new national low-cost carrier project. The entry of another budget operator comes as the kingdom expands airport capacity and route networks to support faster growth in domestic and international traffic. Publicly available coverage has confirmed the regulatory approval, but no commercial launch date has been disclosed. The Dammam base positions the carrier to build a network from Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, complementing the country’s wider aviation development plans.