Bizjet charter and private aviation terminal operator PrivatAir Saudi Arabia (PASA) said plans are afoot to add another FBO in Riyadh, two in Jeddah, and install a new one within existing facilities at Dammam Airport, PASA managing director Mansour Alsharif told AIN last week at the Saudi Airshow.
Four operators are currently in place in Riyadh: Saudia Private Aviation (SPA), Jet Aviation, Sky Prime, and NasJet-ExecuJet. The private aviation terminal there is undergoing a massive overhaul, set for completion in June 2020, and expected to almost triple floorspace to 13,500 sq m (145,313 sq ft), and more than double the apron size to 20,500 sq m (220,660 sq ft). A separate standalone facility will give one undisclosed FBO operator extra space, while the other four players will share common-user spaces and government services but run separate lounges.
Meanwhile, Alsharif said two FBOs would be added in Jeddah, where SPA and Jet Aviation currently operate facilities, but refused to confirm the identity of the new entrants. No FBO exists today in Dammam, so PASA is installing a facility on the ground floor of the existing terminal building.
“Today, our spending in Riyadh alone exceeds $200 million. We're building new facilities…and a number of hangars,” Alsharif said. “We have two important new names who will enter the Jeddah FBO market in 2019. [In Dammam,] we will be able to operate within 120 days. It will be the first private aviation terminal [at the airport].”