Flexjet Gains Saudi Arabia Approval To Operate Domestic Flights

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has issued Flexjet a Foreign Operator Certificate, authorizing the U.S.-based fractional private jet company to operate on-demand domestic flights within the Kingdom.

The approval makes Flexjet only the second foreign private aviation operator permitted to fly domestic routes in Saudi Arabia, following similar authorization granted to Dubai-based VistaJet in August.

GACA Executive Vice President for Economic Policies and Logistics Awad Al-Sulami formally presented the certificate to Flexjet CEO Ben Watts during a ceremony held Dec. 1 at the authority’s headquarters in Riyadh.

The certification follows GACA’s recent regulatory change, effective May 1, 2025, allowing foreign private aircraft operators to conduct on-demand flights inside the Kingdom once they comply with requirements under the Civil Aviation Law’s executive regulations.

Flexjet has previously signaled interest in expanding into the Middle East. In October, Aviation Week reported the company was eyeing the region as a natural next step in its five-year growth plan.

“Being granted the authorization to operate flights within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a positive step forward in Flexjet’s expansion in the GCC, a region which is becoming increasingly important to our target audience of ultra-high-net-worth travelers,” said Andrew Collins, Flexjet’s global CEO.

GACA said the move is expected to enhance competitiveness in the aviation sector, attract foreign investment and improve service quality across general aviation.

“Authorizing Flexjet to operate domestic on-demand private flights demonstrates GACA’s commitment to enabling high-quality aviation services built on the highest international safety standards,” Al-Sulami said.

“This milestone enhances competition, elevates customer experience, and supports the wider transformation of the Saudi aviation ecosystem in line with Vision 2030.”

Flexjet has a fleet of 325 aircraft, including Gulfstream G700, G650, and G450 jets, as well as Embraer Praetor 600 and 500, the Phenom 300, and Bombardier Challenger 350/3500 models.