Civil Aviation welcomes “licensed” air sports

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The General Authority of Civil Aviation expressed its support and encouragement for air sports and all licensed practitioners as well as aviation clubs holding the required licenses from the Authority, and pointed out that the compliance with safety provisions, procedures and requirements stipulated by laws and regulations of the Civil Aviation and must be applied in the Authority, does not conflict with the practice of air sports of all kinds.
 
The Authority granted all practitioners of this sport and related clubs a period of one year to correct their situation as required by the relevant rules and regulations. The Authority reported that it granted certified licenses to a number of aviation practitioners, after meeting the requirements in a short time, calling for cooperation with all practitioners of this sport and the related clubs for the benefit of all by applying for the necessary licenses after meeting all conditions and requirements regarding this matter, in order to preserve safety of people and property.
 
For his part, Captain Abdulhakim bin Mohammed Al-Badr, the Authority’s Assistant President for Safety, Security and Air Transport explained that the Authority has the official power to oversee civil aviation affairs in accordance with the Civil Aviation Law in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued by Royal Decree No. M/44 dated 18/07/1426 H, which stipulated that it has the authority to issue licenses and permits for aircrafts, aircraft operators and aviation practitioners, without which, no aircraft may operate in the territory of the Kingdom. Licenses and permits shall be deemed personal property and may not be assigned to others. Al-Badr noted that Civil Aviation Law defines an aircraft as “any machine that can derive support in the atmosphere from the reactions of the air, other than the reactions of the air against the earth’s surface.”
 
He assured that no aircraft may fly in the territory of the Kingdom without a valid airworthiness certificate issued or validated by the competent registration authority. He also stressed that conditions and restrictions set forth in said certificate and the aircraft flight manual must be complied with.
“No person may train another to fly in the Kingdom for the purpose of preparing or qualifying him to obtain a flying permit, unless the trainer holds a valid permit to fly the aircraft used for training, issued or validated by the Authority, stating eligibility of said trainer to provide such training as well as training conditions”, he added.
 
Al-Badr said that the Authority welcomes again air sports and activities and seeks to spread this sport across the Kingdom in collaboration with licensed clubs and relevant authorities. He noted that the Authority’s requirements are an extension of the International Civil Aviation Organization terms, which are respected by all Member States, pointing out that the advanced classification of the Kingdom in the Aviation Safety field is due to the Authority's commitment to implementing all safety requirements on all employees in the aviation industry, which cannot be tolerated as it can lead to loss of life and property, thus harming the reputation of the Kingdom globally.
 
He also noted that the General Authority of Civil Aviation will not hesitate to implement all regulatory sanctions on violators of the Authority’s instructions and conditions issued by Royal Decree (mentioned above).