PrivatAir Saudi Arabia Moves Ahead on FBO Upgrades

PrivatAir Saudi Arabia (PASA), which won the right in 2016 to upgrade FBO facilities at the kingdoms’s three main airports, plans to expand MRO services and hangarage at major aviation hubs and improve general levels of service provision for ground handling in the business aviation sector, as the kingdom emerges from a difficult year, according to managing director Mansour Alsharif.

PASA was founded in 2011 and is based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company received its charter AOC from the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) in 2012 and in 2016 added a 121-special unscheduled AOC. The PASA fleet includes BBJs, Challengers, the KingAir 350, and Robinson R44. 

“In 2016, PASA won an exclusive concession with GACA to operate and develop private aviation terminals in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam Airports," said Alsharif. "PASA is a Saudi limited liability company owned by Saudi investors that have know-how and commitment to the aviation industry.”

Asyad Holding Group, a Jeddah-based concern, decided to invest in Switzerland’s PrivatAir in 2009. In turn, European private-equity investor SilverArrow took a majority stake in PrivatAir in 2016. The Swiss company also operates and manages the "Al Bayraq" service on behalf of local private-aviation concern Saudia Private Aviation. These moves have allowed the transfer of international expertise into the kingdom.

“This is part of the group strategy of portfolio diversification, knowledge, and technology transfer, teaming up with world-class international players," said Alsharif. "PASA plans to renovate or upgrade facilities in airports at Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam and has exclusive concession agreements with GACA for this purpose.”

The private aviation terminal at Riyadh has long been regarded as in need of improvement and AIN understands that work to this end is now underway. “In Riyadh, the concession agreement is long-term. It includes developing a state-of-the-art private aviation terminal, expanding the apron to double its capacity to position Riyadh to accommodate VVIP and general aviation traffic,” he said.

“In both Riyadh and Jeddah, PASA is developing new services for aircraft operators including MROs, aircraft shading areas, and aircraft washing areas. In Dammam the plan is to develop a VVIP private aviation facility to attract general and private aviation traffic that is lost to neighboring countries.

“The Kingdom is the heart of general and private aviation in the Middle East. We believe the time is perfect for expanding business-aviation facilities kingdom-wide. This includes key international airports Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah, as well as new FBO facilities to satisfy the traffic demand driven by the key initiatives and projects [associated with Saudi Arabia’s] Vision 2030.”

Following events over the past 12 months, business aviation activity has fallen in the kingdom but is expected to return to normal in due course. A number of owners and operators are starting to fly again following a lull in activity.

“Many aircraft owners and operators came back to business after a short reduction," he said. "Moreover, new traffic is driven by entertainment and social events recently introduced in the Kingdom. We are witnessing a new positive trend and change in industry profile where we see several government entities utilizing general and private aviation as their mean of transportation.”

PASA sees the creation of new MRO facilities as the way to tackle the kingdom’s lack of hangarage. Alsharif agreed that the situation needs a remedy, and quickly, as the lack of services was driving operators to base themselves elsewhere in the region, in places like Dubai and Bahrain.

“This is very true," said Alsharif. "The general and private aviation industry in Saudi Arabia is in real need for MROs and maintenance support. PASA is developing master plans in Riyadh and Jeddah to allow for the establishment of MROs in these two airports by 2019. We are engaged with several interested MRO providers, [who are] ready to expand their scope and invest in establishing their presence in Riyadh and Jeddah."

“Public-private partnerships, as the model [adopted by] PASA and GACA in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, are key to the industry to achieve sustainable growth," he concluded. "This allows the private sector to actively engage and contribute to the development and growth of the nation’s aviation industry, to create jobs, and to achieve knowledge and technology transfer and support the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision.”