It has been confirmed that the Civil Aviation Authority of Saudi Arabia that the government has approved the implementation of the ABC airport charges. These charges will be collected for the use of airport lounges and to finance the infrastructural development of the airport and improve the services.

Thereby, SR 10 would be charged to all the passengers arriving or departing on the domestic flights. This is a fee for using the airport facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

When is it going to be implemented?

The assistant chairman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation for economic policies and air transport, Mohammed Bin Obaid Al Otaibi, has declared that this fee shall commence from the 1^st of January 2020.

All the Air carriers are duty-bound to collect the fee in accordance to the instructions provided to them at the bills which shall be issued by the airport authorities.

Who will be exempt to pay this fee?

The assistant chairman also listed those who shall be exempted from the fee. The infants, the crew members, the staff at the aircraft, the pilots and engineers, navigators and technicians and transit passengers are not obliged to pay the fee.

The aircrew who has issued and valid cards are also exempted from the fee. The transit passengers who do not use airport facilities shall not pay the fee.

What about the tickets already booked?

As the fee is to be commenced from the 1^st of January 2020, the airlines and financial departments are in direct coordination with each other. The tickets that have been sold before and will be used after or on the 1^st of January shall be liable to pay the fee at the time of issuance of the boarding passes.

Al Otaibi also pointed out the financial settlements will be made after the Airport’s Financial Department and the General Administration of Revenues at the General Authority of Civil Aviation for accreditation.

The facilities provided at the Saudi Airports shall be reviewed on and off after 3 years from 2020. This shall depend on the state of the economy (inflation/deflation) and will be included in the Saudi Aviation Manual.