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Private Jet Operator AirX Wins Saudi Aviation Clearance
The Malta-based aircraft charter company has formalized entry into the Kingdom as private jet traffic climbs.
Malta-headquartered private aviation operator AirX has secured approval from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation, clearing the way to base and operate aircraft in the Kingdom.
The sign-off marks AirX’s formal expansion into Saudi Arabia after years of serving the market through international charters. With the license in hand, the company plans to increase aircraft availability locally and deepen relationships with corporate and government clients.
“Saudi Arabia represents one of the most strategic and dynamic aviation markets globally,” said Houssam Hazzoury, Group CEO of AirX. “With Vision 2030 driving unprecedented growth in tourism, investment, and international engagement, we see a clear opportunity to support the Kingdom’s premium private aviation sector with world-class long-range aircraft capability, safety standards, and service excellence”.
AirX operates a fleet of 20 aircraft, spanning heavy jets, Lineage models and widebody VIP configurations. The company is entering the Saudi market with support from AstroLabs, which advises foreign firms setting up in the Gulf.
The move lands as business aviation traffic accelerates across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia recorded 23,612 business jet flights in 2024, up 24 percent year on year. The rise tracks with Vision 2030’s push to attract global companies, investors and tourists, alongside major aviation infrastructure spending.
Relocation trends are also reshaping demand. Reports point to a 700 percent increase in millionaire relocations (a figure of 2,400) in 2025, adding fuel to premium charter activity. The Kingdom’s private aviation market is forecast to reach $2 billion by the end of the decade.
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For AirX, the GACA approval is operational, rather than simply symbolic. It allows aircraft to be positioned in-market rather than flown in ad hoc, tightening response times and expanding capacity across Riyadh, Jeddah and emerging hubs such as the NEOM project.
“AirX’s expansion comes at a pivotal time as Saudi Arabia consolidates its position as a global aviation and tourism hub,” said Fouad Fattal, Vice President, Commercial at AstroLabs.
As more multinationals anchor regional headquarters in Riyadh, competition among charter operators is set to intensify. AirX is betting that scale, long-range capability and early regulatory alignment will secure it a larger slice of the Kingdom’s fast-maturing private aviation segment.
News
Lebanon Ministers Meet Visa Over National Digital Payment Platform
Finance and technology ministers say a comparative study and roadmap will follow before any decision on adopting a model.
Lebanon’s finance and technology ministers met representatives from Visa last week to discuss a proposed unified national digital payment platform for government services, according to a readout from the Ministry of Finance.
The meeting brought together Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Kamal Shehadeh, a Visa delegation, and experts from both ministries. Discussion focused on whether Lebanon could establish a single platform through which citizens and institutions would pay taxes, fees, fines and other official transactions electronically, using mobile phones and other digital channels.
The Visa delegation presented examples from countries that have adopted unified government payment platforms, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Estonia and Jordan. According to the readout, the examples were presented as having increased collection rates and expanded financial inclusion.
Talks covered settlement mechanisms, direct transfer to the treasury account, financial reconciliation, risk management, cybersecurity, fees, and an operational model that would involve the private sector. The parties agreed to continue technical and institutional consultations, prepare a comparative study, and develop an implementation roadmap before any decision on adopting a model for Lebanon.
Jaber said the Ministry of Finance had already enabled citizens to pay using credit cards and e-wallets through transfer companies, but described the proposed platform as a further step. He framed the development of electronic payment and collection systems as a priority within the ministry’s modernization plan.
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Shehadeh outlined the citizen-facing concept as a single mobile application through which users could settle obligations to ministries, government institutions and other bodies.
“The idea, in short, is that any citizen downloads an application on their mobile phone, through which they can pay all service obligations for all ministries, government institutions, or those owned by the Lebanese state, and others as well, as the platform is not limited only to state institutions,” he said.
Shehadeh added that the platform would not displace banks and money transfer companies that currently provide collection services to the state, calling it complementary to their work.
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