Aviation companies and foreign airlines will get another two months to present their proposals to secure licenses for operating both domestic and international services from Saudi Arabia.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has extended the deadline for submissions from the end of April to the end of June.

“The extension will not delay the launch of services by the companies that win the licenses. The authority will cut short the period for review and scrutiny of proposals to compensate the delay caused by the deadline extension,” said a GACA statement.

GACA attributed this decision to part of an initiative to give additional incentives and benefits for the investors in order to make this vital sector more attractive and beneficial for them.

GACA spokesman Khaled Al-Khaibary recently announced that the licensed aviation companies would begin offering services by April next year.

“GACA would be able to provide documented feedback to these carriers by the end of August and would announce the awarding of licenses to the companies by the end of September.

Once licenses are awarded, the airlines would be given four to six months to choose a hub, set up their operations in conformity with GACA regulations and technical specifications, which should be completed around the end of February next year,” Al-Khaibary added.

In January, GACA invited tenders from Saudi and foreign airlines to operate domestic and international flights from Saudi airports, and accordingly tenders were received from Jan. 22 to March 18.

Later, the authority announced issuing requests for proposals in April. GACA said it would provide airline companies that make the best offer with all facilities to operate domestic and international flights.

“We’ll not insist that they operate from specific airports and will give them multiple options, including free selection of domestic routes. The licensed company will have the freedom to choose any Saudi airport as its hub and also to operate international flights,” GACA said in an earlier statement, adding that it would also offer various types of assistance yet to be finalized.