Article 139 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
المادة 139 من نظام الطيران المدني · الفصل الأول: مسؤولية الناقل الجوي
Every 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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب على كل ناقل جوي وطني أو أجنبي يعمل في إقليم المملكة أن يقدم نسخة من أحكام شروط النقل الجوي التي يطبقها في إقليم المملكة إلى الهيئة لاعتمادها.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 139 explained in plain English
Air carriage conditions are the rules a carrier sets to govern its relationship with passengers and shippers, such as rules on baggage, changes and cancellations. This article puts them under oversight.
Who is obliged? Every air carrier, national or foreign, operating in the territory of the Kingdom.
What is the obligation? To submit to the Authority a copy of the provisions of the air carriage conditions it applies in the territory of the Kingdom.
Purpose: approval by the Authority.
Practical effect:
- a carrier may not apply in the Kingdom carriage conditions that it has not submitted to the Authority for approval;
- the rule covers foreign companies, so it is not enough that their conditions are approved in their home country; and
- the rule concerns the conditions applied "in the territory of the Kingdom."
What the article does not specify: The article does not state the criteria for approving the conditions, what happens if the Authority refuses to approve them, or the duration of the approval.
Relation to neighboring articles: This article follows Article 138, which obliges the carrier to verify the documents of passengers and goods entering and leaving the Kingdom and makes it liable for failure. It is followed by Article 140, which defines an aircraft "in flight" for the purposes of the provisions on liability for damage caused by an aircraft to third parties on the surface. Someone who believes a condition in their ticket conflicts with their rights may consult a lawyer specializing in aviation and compensation cases.
Practical example
A foreign airline began operating flights to Dammam. It must submit to the Authority, for approval, a copy of the air carriage conditions it will apply to its passengers in the Kingdom.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 139 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
Does the General Authority of Civil Aviation review airlines' conditions?
Yes. Every national or foreign air carrier operating in the Kingdom's territory must submit a copy of the air carriage conditions it applies to the Authority for approval.
Does the rule cover foreign airlines?
Yes. It covers every national or foreign air carrier operating in the Kingdom's territory.
More articles on Liability of the Air Carrier
- Article 117
The facts covered by the investigation committee's final report on an aircraft accident are considered correct until the contrary is proved.
تعد الوقائع التي شملها التقرير النهائي الذي تضعه لجنة التحقيق في حادث الطائرة صحيحة حتى يتم إثبات عكسها.
- Article 133
For 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.
يُقصد بالعبارات والمصطلحات الآتية أينما وردت في هذا الفصل المعاني المبينة أمامها ما لم يقتض السياق خلاف ذلك : الناقل الجوي : الناقل المتعاقد أو الناقل الفعلي حس
- Article 134
The 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.
تكون مسؤولية الناقل الجوي في علاقته مع الراكب أو شاحن البضائع والمرسل إليه مسؤولية تعاقدية وفقا لعقد النقل الجوي المبرم مع كل منهما، وتخضع لأحكام المعاهدات الدو
- Article 135
International treaties the Kingdom has joined apply to international and domestic air carriage of persons, baggage and goods.
تطبق المعاهدات الدولية المنضمة إليها المملكة على النقل الجوي الدولي والداخلي للأشخاص والأمتعة والبضائع.
- Article 136
The 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.
يكون الناقل الجوي مسؤولا تجاه الركاب والشاحنين والمرسل إليهم عن إلقاء الأمتعة والبضائع المشحونة أثناء الطيران حتى ولو كان لا بد من إلقائها لنجاة الطائرة أو الرك
- Article 137
The 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.
لا يكون الناقل مسؤولا إذا اضطر قائد الطائرة إلى إنزال أو تسليم أي راكب يخل بالنظام على متن الطائرة أو يشكل خطرا على سلامة الطائرة أو الركاب أو تم إنزاله تنفيذا
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.