In force Last amended 20/2/1445 AH
Saudi Civil Aviation Law
نظام الطيران المدني
Governs civil aviation in Saudi Arabia, including airspace sovereignty, air carriers and airports, aircraft registration and rights over aircraft, flight rules and licenses, accident investigation, carrier liability and aviation security offenses.
- Articles
- 180
- In force
- 180
- Amended
- 12
- Issued
- 18/7/1426 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم م/44 بتاريخ 18 / 7 / 1426 · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم 185 بتاريخ 17 / 7 / 1426
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Civil Aviation Law by topic
Scope of the Civil Aviation Law and Airspace Sovereignty11 articlesFlight Permits and Aircraft Inspection11 articlesAir Transport Policy and the Authority's Powers13 articlesLicensing Airlines and Air Routes8 articlesAirports and Aviation Security15 articlesRegistering Aircraft and Rights Over Them20 articlesAircraft Leasing6 articlesAttaching Aircraft12 articlesAirworthiness and Maintenance of Aircraft10 articlesRules of the Air and Prohibited Areas6 articlesPilot Licenses and Flight Training8 articlesAir Operations and Flight Safety16 articlesAviation Accidents and Search and Rescue24 articlesLiability of the Air Carrier8 articlesCompensation for Damage Caused by Aircraft on the Ground14 articlesAviation Security Offenses and Penalties26 articles
Articles of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
الباب الأول: أحكام عامةArticles 1–14
- Article 1يقصد بالكلمات والعبارات الآتية أينما وردت في هذا النظام المعاني المبينة أمامها ما لم يقتض السياق خلاف ذلك: 1 - النظام : نظام الطيران…
- Article 2The article provides that the Kingdom has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace within its territory.
- Article 3The article defines the scope of the Civil Aviation Law: civil activities and airports in the Kingdom, aircraft registered in it, non-military state aircraft, and foreign aircraft on conditions.
- Article 4The Chicago Convention, its annexes and the other international civil aviation treaties the Kingdom has approved are an integral part of the Civil Aviation Law.
- Article 5The Authority is the body responsible for all civil aviation affairs in the Kingdom, including the wired and wireless communications services for flight safety and orderly air traffic.
- Article 6The Authority may inspect aircraft, prevent them from flying and seize their documents to monitor compliance with the Civil Aviation Law; the Implementing Regulations set the procedures.
- Article 7Customs, security, passport, and health and agricultural quarantine personnel and any other competent body may inspect aircraft, persons and cargo within their jurisdiction, in the presence of a representative of the Authority.
- Article 8Passengers, crew members and consignors of goods must follow the residence, passport, customs, and health and agricultural quarantine rules when entering, staying in and leaving the Kingdom.
- Article 9No aircraft may operate in the Kingdom's territory without a license or permit issued by the Authority; it is personal and cannot be assigned to others, and the Implementing Regulations set its conditions.
- Article 10The article sets the requirements for an aircraft operating in the Kingdom: registration, a valid airworthiness certificate, markings, equipment, crew licenses and insurance, with possible exemptions for test and training aircraft except insurance.
- Article 11No aircraft operating in the Kingdom may be fitted with radio equipment without approval of the state of registration, and it may only be used for air navigation purposes by the flight crew.
- Article 12No dangerous goods may be carried by aircraft without a permit from the Authority and according to the procedures set by the Implementing Regulations, subject to international rules on carrying dangerous goods.
- Article 13No aircraft fitted with cameras or aerial survey equipment may fly in the Kingdom, and such equipment may not be used, without a permit from the Authority and under its conditions.
- Article 14Unauthorized persons may not interfere with or obstruct the flight crew during flight, and no one may tamper with the aircraft or endanger its safety, its crew or its passengers.
الباب الثاني: تنظيم النقل الجويArticles 15–32
- Article 15The Board of Directors sets the general air transport policies of the Kingdom, and its chairman, or his delegate, represents the Kingdom before states and organizations on the matter.
- Article 16The Authority regulates, monitors and develops the air transport sector and applies its policies, with powers including negotiating agreements, issuing and suspending licenses, setting fees, approving tariffs and inspecting carriers.
- Article 17Authorized representatives of the Authority may enter the offices of air carriers, cargo and ground handling companies to inspect them, review documents and seize those that violate the law, licenses or the Authority's instructions.
- Article 18No foreign operator may carry passengers, goods or mail for pay between two points in the Kingdom, unless the Authority permits it for exceptional or special circumstances or to complete an international flight.
- Article 19The owner or operator of an aircraft registered in the Kingdom may not offer or sell alcohol, narcotics or prohibited items on board; arrivals may not possess them, and no aircraft may carry them into the Kingdom.
- Article 20No agreements, arrangements or procedures to exchange or grant air transport rights relating to the Kingdom may be made with any foreign party except through the Authority and after completing the legal procedures.
- Article 21Mail and parcels may not be carried by aircraft to or from the Kingdom except under the established postal procedures and the postal treaties the Kingdom has approved, and only after being received under those procedures.
- Article 22National and foreign air carriers must pay the civil aviation fees and charges due on their domestic and international operations and flights at the levels set in the Civil Aviation Tariff Law and its regulations.
- Article 23Owners and operators of aircraft operating in the Kingdom and all air transport, cargo and ground handling companies must carry out all instructions issued by the Authority.
- Article 24A national company or establishment for commercial air transport or aerial work may not be set up without an air operator license and the Authority's approval, without prejudice to the Companies Law.
- Article 25National air transport companies may not operate any air route or new aircraft type without the Authority's approval; the Implementing Regulations set the conditions for approval.
- Article 26National and foreign air transport companies must obtain the Authority's prior approval before establishing, amending or canceling any air route, or changing the number of their flights to, from or within the Kingdom.
- Article 27National airlines may not make operating or joint investment agreements with foreign airlines except under the Implementing Regulations; the Authority may accept or reject them with reasons within 30 days on limited grounds.
- Article 28A foreign airline may not open an office or representation in the Kingdom without the Authority's license on a reciprocity basis, and may assign its representation or agency only to a licensed Saudi company or agency approved by the Authority.
- Article 29Ground handling work for aircraft at the Kingdom's civil airports requires a license from the Authority, which is issued to foreign air transport companies only on a reciprocity basis.
- Article 30National and foreign air transport, cargo and ground handling companies must provide all information, data, statistics and studies on their routes and air fares that the Authority requests.
- Article 31The Authority and the competent bodies, each within its remit, must apply the facilitation provisions of the Chicago Convention and its annexes to ease the movement of aircraft, passengers, goods and mail to, from and across the Kingdom.
- Article 32A national committee for air transport facilitation is established by a decision of the President; the Implementing Regulations set its powers, membership, meeting rules and responsibilities in line with international facilitation rules.
الباب الثالث: المطارات ومنشآت الخدمات الملاحيةArticles 33–48
- Article 33Civil airports and landing strips for civil aircraft in the Kingdom may not be established, prepared, used or operated as an investment without the Authority's approval.
- Article 34Airports, facilities, buildings, equipment, wired and wireless stations and beacons belonging to the Authority are public utilities.
- Article 35The Authority manages its airports and supervises their operation, maintenance and working rules, and may license others to do all or part of this without affecting civil aviation security and safety.
- Article 36The Authority determines the types and categories of airports in coordination with the competent bodies.
- Article 37Aircraft use declared civil airports in line with their rules, and may not land elsewhere except in emergencies and as the Implementing Regulations provide.
- Article 38The Authority sets the permitted noise level for aircraft using the Kingdom's airports, and the heights, speeds, engine capacities and other conditions that keep aircraft within that level.
- Article 39The Authority, in coordination with the relevant bodies, supervises workers at its airports to ensure compliance with airport rules and the smooth running of work, without prejudice to government bodies' jurisdiction.
- Article 40Air easements are created to secure air navigation safety, providing for removing or preventing buildings and obstacles or limiting their height near airports and navigation equipment, and for marking hazardous obstacles.
- Article 41The Authority determines the scope and extent of air easements and the areas in which they are imposed, in accordance with Annex 14 to the Chicago Convention on airports.
- Article 42Anyone who uses or owns equipment or fixed or mobile civil structures that may cause interference with radio or navigation aid equipment must comply with the measures set by the competent authority under the Implementing Regulations.
- Article 43The Authority may own the land and real estate needed to build, expand or connect its civil airports to transport routes, and the land for air navigation equipment stations, in accordance with the laws and instructions.
- Article 44The Authority, with the other competent authorities, enforces the rules and takes necessary measures to keep airports secure and aircraft and navigation aids safe, including restricting access, verifying identities and searching suspect passengers.
- Article 45Air mail and parcels sent by air must be searched if there is doubt that they contain items that may threaten aircraft safety in flight or prohibited items, subject to Articles 21 and 44.
- Article 461- تنشأ لجنة وطنية لأمن الطيران المدني تسمى ( اللجنة الأمنية الإشرافية ) تكون مسؤولة عن وضع وتطوير ومتابعة خطة وطنية لحماية أمن المطارات…
- Article 47A security committee is established at every civil airport in the Kingdom's territory, as the Implementing Regulations provide.
- Article 48The Authority prepares the airport security manual, containing the controls and procedures to be followed to ensure civil aviation security, in line with applicable international rules and laws.
الباب الرابع: الطائراتArticles 49–88
- Article 49No civil aircraft may fly in the Kingdom's territory without its nationality and registration marks; the Authority may permit an unregistered aircraft to fly or land for technical testing or other purposes.
- Article 50The Authority determines the nationality and registration marks of national aircraft and how they are placed on the aircraft, in accordance with the applicable international rules and laws.
- Article 51The Authority maintains the Saudi National Register for Aircraft Registration, whose contents and registration conditions are set by the Implementing Regulations; a registered aircraft has the Kingdom's nationality.
- Article 52The Authority issues aircraft registration certificates after completing the necessary procedures, each containing the data set by the Implementing Regulations.
- Article 53An aircraft is deregistered if its owner or lessee loses Saudi nationality, ownership passes to a foreigner, it is lost or permanently withdrawn, the owner requests it or a registration condition ceases; the owner must notify the Authority and return the certificate.
- Article 54The provisions on rights over aircraft apply to all civil aircraft in the Kingdom's territory whatever their nationality and to Saudi civil aircraft wherever they are, but not to state aircraft.
- Article 55For the chapter on rights over aircraft, an aircraft means its airframe, engines, propellers, radio equipment and all parts designated to serve it, whether attached or temporarily detached.
- Article 56Ownership, a possessor's right to acquire by purchase, lease use and formal mortgage or similar rights may be created over civil aircraft; no other right may take priority over them except privileged debts.
- Article 57Rights over foreign aircraft are registered under the law of their state of registration; the Authority must register valid rights over Saudi aircraft in the register, and may treat depositing the document creating a right as registration.
- Article 58Foreign aircraft's registration effects follow their own law; rights over Saudi aircraft bind third parties only from registration or deposit of the document; interested parties may request certified copies.
- Article 59An aircraft is movable property under the Kingdom's laws; ownership of a national aircraft passes only by an official document, which has no effect against third parties until registered in the register.
- Article 60Any legal disposition of a national aircraft, such as sale, lease or mortgage, to any person is permitted, but it does not take effect against third parties until registered in the register.
- Article 61Privileged debts (salvage rewards, extraordinary preservation expenses and fees payable) rank ahead of all other rights over aircraft; they are registered at the creditor's request within 3 months.
- Article 62Where an aircraft is attached or sold by force, creating or transferring Article 56 rights is not recognized if the debtor did so knowing of the proceedings and intending to harm the attaching creditor, the enforcing party or the buyer.
- Article 63A forced sale of an aircraft follows the procedures of the laws in force and the Implementing Regulations; a sale breaching them can be annulled within six months, and the buyer takes ownership free of all rights.
- Article 64A right created to secure a debt and validly registered on an aircraft extends to spare parts stored in specified places, under conditions set by the Implementing Regulations, with a broad definition of spare parts.
- Article 65A forced sale of an aircraft also covers the spare parts seized with it; the article governs auctioning them at two-thirds of value where the seizing creditor's debt has no security interest, and distributing the proceeds.
- Article 66The article protects anyone who suffers surface damage from an aircraft when it is seized and sold by forced sale: security rights can be asserted against them only up to 80% of the price, unless the damage was insured.
- Article 67An aircraft's registration may not be transferred from the register to another State's register, or the reverse, until the registered rights are settled or their holders consent, except in a forced sale.
- Article 68The article defines an aircraft lease as a written contract for the lessee to use the aircraft, with or without crew, for a fee, and it takes effect only after the Authority approves it.
- Article 69The aircraft owner remains jointly liable with the lessee if the lease does not exceed 14 days; the operating lessee alone is liable for longer leases or leases made with a view to purchase.
- Article 70Before buying, leasing out or leasing any aircraft, a Saudi operator must verify that the aircraft meets the technical conditions and standards set by the Authority.
- Article 71The article defines a precautionary seizure of an aircraft as any act that grounds the aircraft for a private interest through the courts or competent authorities, and gives the Authority the right to ground it for unpaid fees.
- Article 72The article excludes from the seizure chapter the precautionary measures in bankruptcy proceedings and those taken for violating this Law, the customs or penal laws, or the security rules.
- Article 73The article bars precautionary seizure of non-commercial State-service aircraft, scheduled-service aircraft and their indispensable spares, and commercial aircraft about to depart, except for a debt tied to the flight.
- Article 74The article allows a precautionary seizure of an aircraft to be prevented or lifted at once by providing a sufficient guarantee covering the debt and expenses, or the aircraft's value if that is higher.
- Article 75The article regulates appointing a custodian over an aircraft under precautionary seizure, and allows the custodian to operate it by decision of the body that imposed the seizure.
- Article 76The Authority records a precautionary seizure of national civil aircraft in the register at the creditor's request, after verifying that the supporting documents are available.
- Article 77The article requires disputes about the seizure of aircraft, and requests to lift a seizure, to be decided urgently.
- Article 78The seizing party is liable for damage to the aircraft's owner or operator if they seize where it is not permitted, a sufficient guarantee was refused, or the seizure had no legitimate reason.
- Article 79An aircraft may not be seized in enforcement of a debt until enforcement procedures against the debtor's other assets in the Kingdom are exhausted and shown to be insufficient.
- Article 80The article applies the international technical regulations and standards in the Chicago Convention and its annexes, as adopted by the Kingdom, to aircraft airworthiness, to achieve the highest safety levels with regard to the environment.
- Article 81The Authority issues airworthiness certificates for aircraft registered in the Kingdom and validates foreign ones; no aircraft may fly in the territory without a valid certificate, and some domestic flights may be exempted.
- Article 82The article requires technical records for every aircraft registered in the Kingdom, determining the aircraft's weight and preparing its weight schedule, and equipping it with the instruments prescribed in the Chicago Convention annexes.
- Article 83The article gives the Authority the right to inspect an aircraft to verify its airworthiness, suspend its airworthiness certificate if necessary, and issue the necessary instructions, under the Regulations' controls.
- Article 84The article requires prior licensing by the Authority to manufacture aircraft or parts in the Kingdom and prior licensing for maintenance and overhaul, and places the Authority's oversight costs on the companies.
- Article 85No aircraft may operate in the Kingdom's territory on an international flight unless it carries the documents and records required by the Chicago Convention and its annexes and any others the Authority specifies.
- Article 86No operator may begin operating its aircraft before the Authority approves the operations specifications it prepares, which form part of its license and are binding.
- Article 87The operator must prepare an operations manual for each aircraft it operates, including the operations specifications, for pilots and operations staff to use as guidance, and have the Authority approve it.
- Article 88An operator may not run a new air route or extend an existing one before one or more preparatory flights with no passengers except those needed to operate the aircraft; mail and goods may be carried, and the Authority may exempt.
الباب الخامس: قواعد الجوArticles 89–90
- Article 89The Authority sets the rules of the air, flight and navigation regulations, air routes and corridors, and the pilot-in-command's responsibilities; the Regulations set airspace rules and flight altitudes.
- Article 90The article allows the Authority to prohibit or restrict flight over certain areas, or exceptionally over the whole territory, to define dangerous areas, and to set the prohibited acts for operators and pilots-in-command.
الباب السادس: الإجازات وتعليم الطيرانArticles 91–97
- Article 91Anyone serving on the flight crew of any aircraft operating in the Kingdom's territory must hold a valid license issued by the State of registry, taking into account the standards of international treaties.
- Article 92Anyone serving on the flight crew of an aircraft registered in the Kingdom must hold a valid license entitling them to perform their duties, issued or validated by the Authority.
- Article 93The article exempts from the license requirement someone working as a pilot on an aircraft registered in the Kingdom for training or testing, provided the pilot-in-command holds the required licenses and with limits on who is on board.
- Article 94The Authority issues, validates and renews flight, air traffic controller, maintenance and other technical licenses and may create new ones; it may refuse to issue or renew them, and suspend and terminate them.
- Article 95The article requires every flight crew member of an aircraft registered in the Kingdom, and everyone flying for qualification, to keep a personal flight record approved by the Authority, and not to deal with it without the Authority's permission.
- Article 96No one may be trained to fly in the Kingdom except by an instructor holding a valid license that includes authority to train, and someone without the license may train only under an approved instructor in an aircraft without passengers.
- Article 97No institute or other body may engage in civil aviation teaching, training in its arts, or any other air activity in the Kingdom without prior licensing from the Authority, which may suspend or withdraw the license.
الباب السابع: عمليات النقل الجوي والأشغال الجويةArticles 98–106
- Article 98The article sets the scope of the air operations part: Saudi aircraft operators, Saudi operators using foreign aircraft, and foreign operators inside the territory, as well as the people they employ and those on board.
- Article 99The operator of a civil aircraft registered in the Kingdom engaged in air transport or aerial work must observe the Law's provisions wherever the aircraft is, unless they conflict with the laws of the States where it operates.
- Article 100The article gives the Authority's approved representatives the right to enter an operator's workplaces at any time to inspect, and allows the Authority to stop any flight or air route whose level of operation violates the requirements.
- Article 101The operator or its representative is responsible for monitoring the flight operations of its aircraft, to ensure they are carried out to the prescribed safety levels and that the laws and instructions are implemented.
- Article 102An operator may not run any flight before appointing a pilot as its commander, responsible for the safety of the aircraft and those on board, and everyone on board must carry out the commander's orders to ensure safety.
- Article 103The article prohibits entering the aircraft's flight deck except by crew members and inspectors or observers appointed for a specific task, and prohibits using the flight controls except by a qualified pilot assigned by the operator.
- Article 104The article requires the aircraft commander to report abnormal weather conditions, navigation aid malfunctions and any hazard to the air traffic services unit, and the operator to brief passengers on safety requirements.
- Article 105The article prohibits anyone from boarding an aircraft if they show signs of intoxication or drug use.
- Article 106The article prohibits piloting an aircraft or working as a crew member while under the influence of an intoxicant, drug or impairing medication, and prohibits taking any of them throughout the period of work.
الباب الثامن: حوادث الطيرانArticles 107–119
- Article 107The National Transport Safety Center investigates accidents and incidents of civil aircraft in the Kingdom and of Saudi aircraft, and sets the investigation regulations, forms its committees, prepares reports and publishes the results.
- Article 108Local authorities, crew members and pilots who see an accident must report aviation accidents in the Kingdom to the Authority, and the owner or operator must notify of accidents to Saudi aircraft abroad.
- Article 109On learning of an accident to a foreign aircraft in the Kingdom's territory, the Center must notify the State of registry, the State of the operator, the State of design and of manufacture, any State affected, and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
- Article 110On an aviation accident, local authorities must keep the aircraft from flying, preserve it and its wreckage, and not move it except for specified reasons until the investigation committee arrives.
- Article 111The board of directors decides whether to conduct an investigation into aviation accidents in the Kingdom or over the high seas involving a Saudi aircraft, or a foreign one operated by a Saudi, or not to proceed with it; the Regulations set the committees' powers.
- Article 112The article allows the Center to ask States and bodies set by the Regulations for representatives to take part as observers in investigating accidents of Saudi aircraft, and gives the States concerned a right of representation for foreign aircraft accidents.
- Article 113The article requires security authorities and administrative bodies to facilitate the investigation committees' work and give them the official papers, carry out rescue and first aid while preserving the accident traces, and implement the committees' instructions.
- Article 114The investigation committee submits preliminary and final reports on the accident, its causes and circumstances to the Center, and the Regulations set the bodies notified of them after the board of directors approves them and their publication is permitted.
- Article 115يحدد المكتب الجهات التي يجوز أن يرسل لها مشروع التقرير الذي أعدته لجنة التحقيق في حادث الطيران الذي وقع لطائرة أجنبية في إقليم المملكة…
- Article 116يجوز للمكتب أن يقرر إعادة التحقيق في حوادث الطيران بقرار مسبب إذا ظهرت بيانات جوهرية أو أدلة جديدة لم تكن متاحة للجنة التحقيق وتؤثر في…
- Article 117The facts covered by the investigation committee's final report on an aircraft accident are considered correct until the contrary is proved.
- Article 118The article requires the Center to send an accredited representative of the Kingdom and advisers to take part in a foreign investigation of accidents to Saudi aircraft, aircraft operated by a Saudi, or in which Saudis are injured.
- Article 119If an accident involves a military aircraft and a civil one in the Kingdom's territory, the board of directors forms a joint investigation committee of the Center, the Royal Saudi Air Force and anyone else it sees fit to use.
الباب التاسع: البحث والإنقاذArticles 120–132
- Article 120The article defines search and rescue as any assistance given, even by mere announcement, to an aircraft facing destruction, danger or difficulties, or whose safety is in doubt or feared for, and to those on board.
- Article 121The article makes the Authority the body responsible for search and rescue operations for air accidents in the Kingdom's territory, requires the relevant bodies to coordinate with it, and refers the rules to the Regulations.
- Article 122The article requires the owner, operator or commander of an aircraft to carry out the search and rescue operations the Authority requests when necessary and if capabilities allow, and bars refusing to give assistance.
- Article 123The article requires the competent authorities to allow persons, vehicles and equipment carrying out search and rescue to enter any prohibited area where the aircraft is or the accident occurred, under the Authority's supervision.
- Article 124The article requires the competent authorities to allow, immediately and temporarily, the entry into the Kingdom's territory of the persons, equipment and aircraft the Authority considers necessary for search and rescue operations.
- Article 125The article allows the Authority to propose arrangements for coordination and cooperation with other States, particularly neighboring ones, on search and rescue, and requires what is reached to be submitted to the board of directors for approval.
- Article 126The article prohibits removing any part of the accident aircraft or distorting its traces except for rescue necessity or with the Authority's approval, and has the search, rescue and guard units monitor this.
- Article 127Anyone who provides search and rescue assistance under this Part may recover their expenses and be compensated for damage caused during or directly by the operations, except for assistance by the Kingdom's agencies, subject to reciprocity.
- Article 128Search and rescue expenses and compensation referred to in Article 127 may not exceed the value of the aircraft immediately before the accident.
- Article 129The operator of the assisted aircraft must pay the search and rescue expenses, compensation and rewards due under the Law, even if the aircraft belongs to the person who provided the assistance.
- Article 130The Board of Directors sets the rules governing the payment of rewards for search and for rescuing persons, the aircraft and property.
- Article 131The Board of Grievances has jurisdiction over search and rescue claims if the accident occurred in the Kingdom, on the high seas or in a place under no state's sovereignty, and the aircraft is Saudi-registered or in the Kingdom's territory or the claimant is a Saudi national.
- Article 132Claims arising from search and rescue are not heard after two years from the date the search and rescue ended.
الباب العاشر: المسؤوليات والضمانات المتعلقة بتشغيل الطائرةArticles 133–152
- Article 133For the purposes of the chapter on air carrier liability, "air carrier" means the contracting or actual carrier, and "Montreal Convention" means the 1999 convention unifying certain rules for international air carriage.
- Article 134The air carrier's liability toward the passenger, shipper and consignee is contractual liability under the contract of carriage, governed by the international treaties the Kingdom has joined, the Law, other laws and applicable instructions.
- Article 135International treaties the Kingdom has joined apply to international and domestic air carriage of persons, baggage and goods.
- Article 136The air carrier is liable to passengers, shippers and consignees for jettisoning baggage and goods during flight, even if it was necessary to save the aircraft or passengers.
- Article 137The carrier is not liable if the aircraft commander is compelled to disembark or hand over a passenger who disturbs order or endangers safety, or if the passenger is disembarked on the instructions of the competent authorities.
- Article 138Every air carrier in the Kingdom's territory must verify that passengers and goods hold the entry or exit documents required, including on domestic carriage where appropriate, and bears liability for any failure.
- Article 139Every national or foreign air carrier operating in the Kingdom's territory must submit a copy of the air carriage conditions it applies in the Kingdom to the Authority for approval.
- Article 140For the purposes of the chapter on damage on the surface, an aircraft is in flight from when motive power is first used for actual takeoff until landing; a lighter-than-air aircraft, from when it leaves the ground until it is secured again.
- Article 141Anyone harmed on the surface in the Kingdom is entitled to compensation from the aircraft operator once it is shown that the damage arose directly from the aircraft in flight or from a person or thing that fell from it, subject to specified exceptions.
- Article 142The aircraft operator is liable for compensation for surface damage whether it uses the aircraft itself or through its employees and agents, and the owner or lessee in whose name the aircraft is registered is deemed the operator unless it proves someone else is.
- Article 143A person entitled to use the aircraft for less than 14 days is jointly liable with the person who authorized the use, and the operator is jointly liable with anyone who used its aircraft without its consent unless it proves it took the necessary care.
- Article 144The liable person is exempt from compensating surface damage caused by armed conflict or civil disturbance, by being barred from using the aircraft by order of public authorities, or by the injured person's fault; compensation is reduced in proportion to the injured person's contribution.
- Article 145Where damage on the surface arises from a collision of two or more aircraft in flight, or one obstructing another, or from two or more aircraft, each aircraft is deemed to have caused the damage and each operator is liable in proportion to its fault or that of its employees.
- Article 146The maximum limits of compensation for damage caused by aircraft to third parties on the surface in the Kingdom apply in accordance with the international treaties, as amended, that the Kingdom has joined.
- Article 147Liability of the operator for surface damage is unlimited if the injured person proves deliberate intent to cause damage or recklessness with knowledge that damage would probably result, and the liability of a person who unlawfully seizes and uses an aircraft is unlimited.
- Article 148If several persons are liable for the damage, injured persons may not recover a total above the highest limit that could be awarded against one liable person; where several aircraft are involved, compensation does not exceed the sum of their limits, subject to unlimited liability.
- Article 150A compensation claim must be filed or served within six months of the accident or the right is limited to what remains; it is not heard after two years, except at the court's discretion, and is not accepted after three years.
- Article 151Claims for compensation for damage caused by aircraft to third parties on the surface in the Kingdom, and to Saudi ships and aircraft on the high seas, are brought before the Board of Grievances; parties may agree on another country's courts or arbitration.
- Article 152Subject to the provisions of this Part, every operator of an aircraft operating in the Kingdom's territory must carry insurance to cover its liability for the damage specified by the Regulations.
الباب الحادي عشر: الجرائم والأفعال التي ترتكب ضد أمن الطيران المدني وسلامتهArticles 149–161
- Article 149Where total compensation exceeds the maximum liability limit, the article governs distribution: a per-person limit for death or bodily injury, proportional reduction, and priority for death and injury over property damage.
- Article 153The provisions of the international treaties and conventions the Kingdom has approved, and the laws applied in the Kingdom, apply to crimes and acts committed against the security and safety of civil aviation and aircraft.
- Article 154The article specifies the acts that are crimes against aviation security, such as violence on board an aircraft, destroying it, giving false information, seizing it, assaults at airports, assaulting crew, harassment and theft.
- Article 155A person who smokes on board a civil aircraft or in its lavatory, tampers with safety devices, operates portable devices when prohibited, or refuses to sit or fasten the seat belt commits a violation.
- Article 156An aircraft is in flight from when all external doors are closed after boarding until one is opened for passengers to leave, and in service from when preparation for a flight begins until 24 hours after its last landing.
- Article 157The aircraft commander may take necessary and preventive measures, including restraint, against a person who commits a crime or endangers safety, may enlist crew and passengers, and may ask for the person to be disembarked or handed over to the authorities.
- Article 158When a crime under Article 154 or an act endangering an aircraft in flight occurs, the competent authorities in the Kingdom must restore control of the aircraft to its commander, return the aircraft and goods, and let passengers and crew continue their journey.
- Article 159The competent authorities in the Kingdom must allow the aircraft commander to disembark or hand over any person in accordance with Article 157.
- Article 160When an accused is handed over under Article 157 or found in the Kingdom, the authorities must detain the person for the time needed, allow immediate contact with the person's consular representative, investigate at once, and then prosecute, deport or extradite depending on jurisdiction.
- Article 161Disembarking or handing over a person under Articles 157 and 159, or detaining or trying the person under Article 172, is not acceptance of the person's entry into the Kingdom, and the authorities may deport or return the person.
الباب الثاني عشر: العقوبات والجزاءاتArticles 162–174
- Article 162The Authority's representatives designated by its president have the power to detect and record violations of the Law, its Regulations, and the decisions, instructions and rules implementing them.
- Article 163Without prejudice to other penalties, the Authority may suspend or cancel licenses, permits and certificates, bar an aircraft from flying or force it to land after warning, bar a foreign commander, and close unlicensed offices.
- Article 164Without prejudice to penalties, the Authority may take the measures needed to prevent, stop or remove violations of Chapter Two of Part Three of the Law, and the violator must pay all the costs the authorities incur.
- Article 165Anyone who operates an aircraft, company, agency or air operations without the required license, permit or authorization, or continues after it is suspended, withdrawn or canceled, is punished by up to one year's imprisonment and a fine of up to SAR 100,000, or either.
- Article 166Anyone who commits an act endangering aviation safety, such as flying without a license, over a prohibited area, or while intoxicated, is punished by up to three years' imprisonment and a fine of up to SAR 300,000, or either.
- Article 167Anyone who commits an unlawful act among those in Article 154 is punished by up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to SAR 500,000, or either, subject to heavier penalties in other laws.
- Article 168Disruptive passengers who commit the violations in Article 155 are fined from SAR 200 to SAR 1,500, for example for smoking, refusing the seat belt, using banned devices or tampering with safety devices.
- Article 169Imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to SAR 50,000 for violating the Law where no specific penalty exists, for violating sanctions imposed under Article 164, and for violating the Authority's government orders.
- Article 170Subject to Article 165, transport enterprises are charged compensation equal to twice the ordinary air transport tariff for passengers or goods carried in violation of the air transport restrictions.
- Article 171The Authority may suspend, for a limited period, or permanently withdraw a flying license or any other license it issued or approved if its holder is sentenced to a criminal penalty or for a crime involving dishonor.
- Article 172The Board of Grievances hears crimes violating the Law committed in the Kingdom, on Saudi-registered aircraft or aircraft operated by a Saudi over the high seas, always at the Authority's request.
- Article 173An aircraft may be confiscated by court judgment if it carries incorrect nationality or registration marks, or none without approval, or if its owner or operator carries weapons or prohibited materials to smuggle or commit a crime affecting the Kingdom's security.
- Article 174A five-member committee formed by the Board of Directors hears violations of the Law; its decisions may be challenged before the Board of Grievances within 60 days, and severe cases are referred to it.
الباب الثالث عشر: الطائرات العسكريةArticles 175–176
- Article 175Articles 37, 89 and 90 apply to all national and foreign military aircraft flying in air corridors or using civil airports in the Kingdom, and Articles 6, 7 and 12 apply to foreign military aircraft flying and landing in the territory.
- Article 176A foreign military aircraft may not fly or land in the Kingdom's territory except under an international or bilateral agreement, with a special permit from the Authority after coordination, and carrying its distinctive marks clearly.
الباب الرابع عشر: أحكام ختاميةArticles 177–180
- Article 177The Law applies to all types of aerial vehicles other than aircraft currently in use, unless its provisions are impossible to apply because of the vehicles' nature or technical makeup, and the Regulations set the conditions.
- Article 178On taking effect, the Law repeals three earlier laws issued in 1372 AH: the law on landing and transit of foreign military, government and diplomatic aircraft, the law on establishing airports, and the air navigation law.
- Article 179The Board of Directors issues the implementing regulations and decisions needed to implement the provisions of the Civil Aviation Law.
- Article 180The Civil Aviation Law is published in the Official Gazette and applies 180 days after its publication, repealing any conflicting provisions.