GACA grants an AOC to an Air Arabia-led consortium that will launch an LCC in Saudi Arabia.
A consortium led by Air Arabia will launch a new airline operation from King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on Sept. 20 after securing an air operator certificate (AOC) from the local civil aviation authority, GACA.
The new airline is being established by a consortium comprising Sharjah, UAE-based LCC Air Arabia and Saudi investors KUN Holding Company and Nesma Group. It will operate as an LCC with majority Saudi ownership and its initial network will serve Jeddah, Medina and Riyadh from Dammam.
“Through our value-driven business model, we aim to enhance air connectivity across the Kingdom, particularly in the Eastern Province,” Air Arabia Group CEO Adel Al Ali said.
The carrier will operate twice-daily flights from Dammam to both Jeddah and Riyadh, while the Dammam-Medina route will operate daily.
Dammam Airports CEO Mohammed bin Ali Al-Hassany said the airport operator was “looking ahead to a new phase of growth focused on enhancing air connectivity and serving travelers from the Eastern Province to destinations around the world.”
Air Arabia operates an all-Airbus narrowbody fleet. The group’s fleet includes current and prior-generation Airbus A320 and A321 family aircraft. During the first six months of 2026, the airline added six aircraft, taking its fleet to 96 A320-family aircraft.
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