This was the second such license for RSG, the developer behind tourism destinations The Red Sea and AMAALA. His Excellency Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, president of GACA, handed the license to RSG’s group CEO John Pagano at The Red Sea destination.
The president described the license award as a part of GACA’s aviation transformation programme, designed to boost competition and investment in support of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda.
Through the Saudi Aviation Strategy, GACA is driving unprecedented growth in Saudi aviation, supporting projects such as Red Sea Global with greater aviation infrastructure and connectivity.
The aerodrome is located on Sheybarah Island, home to the Shebara Resort, which opens to guests in the coming month. John Pagano said the license was one of the final steps in the build-up to opening Shebara.
“As owners of the Kingdom’s first seaplane airline and its only two water aerodromes to date, we are firmly establishing ourselves as leaders within tourism and aviation,” he said. Last year, RSG secured the first operating license for a water aerodrome in Saudi Arabia, at Ummahat Island.
More than 520 flights carrying more than 1,200 passengers were completed in the first half of the year on a fleet of Cessnas, and RSG expects to transport 3,800 passengers before the end of 2024.
In 2023 RSG also announced the launch of its subsidiary business Fly Red Sea, the Kingdom’s first seaplane company and water aerodrome operator.
The Red Sea International Airport has been receiving a regular schedule of domestic flights since September 2023 and international flights began in April 2024, with a twice-weekly route between The Red Sea and Dubai International.
