Article 74 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
المادة 74 من نظام الطيران المدني · الفصل الثالث: الحجز على الطائرات
The 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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- في الحالة التي لا يكون فيها الحجز التحفظي على الطائرة محظورًا أو لا يجوز فيها توقيع الحجز ، ولم يدفع المشغل بعدم جواز مثل هذا الحجز ؛ فإن تقديم كفالة كافية يحول دون توقيع الحجز التحفظي أو يخوِّل رفعه فورًا.
2- تكون الكفالة كافية إذا غطت مقدار الدين والمصاريف وخصصت جميعها للوفاء بالدين المستحق أو إذا غطت قيمة الطائرة متى كانت هذه القيمة أكثر من مقدار الدين والمصاريف.
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 74 explained in plain English
This article offers a practical solution to someone facing a precautionary seizure of their aircraft: providing a guarantee instead of leaving the aircraft grounded.
Scope: cases where precautionary seizure is not prohibited, or where seizure is not allowed, and the operator has not argued that such a seizure is not permitted. In these cases, providing a sufficient guarantee results in:
- preventing the seizure from being imposed in the first place; or
- lifting the seizure at once if it has already been imposed.
When is a guarantee sufficient?
- If it covers the amount of the debt and the expenses, and all of it is allocated to paying the debt owed; or
- If it covers the value of the aircraft, where that value is more than the debt and the expenses.
The aim is to balance the creditor's right to secure the debt against the operator's need to keep operating the aircraft. This rule is linked to Article 73, which lists the aircraft that may not be seized at all, and to Article 75, which regulates appointing a custodian and operating the aircraft if the seizure remains in place. To assess the right guarantee in a particular case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in enforcement and civil aviation matters.
Practical example
An aircraft of a private company in Riyadh is seized as a precaution for a debt of SAR 2,000,000, with expenses of SAR 100,000. If the company provides a guarantee covering SAR 2,100,000, all allocated to paying the debt, the guarantee is sufficient and the seizure is lifted at once so the aircraft can return to service.
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 74 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
Can a seizure be lifted from an aircraft without paying the debt?
Yes. Providing a sufficient guarantee prevents the precautionary seizure from being imposed or entitles the operator to have it lifted at once.
How much must the guarantee be?
It is sufficient if it covers the amount of the debt and the expenses and is allocated to paying the debt, or if it covers the value of the aircraft where that is more than the debt and the expenses.
More articles on Attaching Aircraft
- Article 62
Where 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.
في حالة توقيع الحجز ، أو إجراء البيع الجبري لطائرة ، أو أي حق عليها؛ لا يجوز الاعتراف بإنشاء أو بنقل أي من الحقوق الواردة في الفقرة (1) من المادة (السادسة والخم
- Article 63
A 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.
1 - إذا تقرر بيع الطائرة جبريًّا في المملكة لتسديد الديون المستحقة عليها؛ فإن إجراءات البيع الجبري تتم وفقا للإجراءات التي تحددها الأحكام والأنظمة المطبقة في ال
- Article 65
A 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.
1- إذا تقرر بيع الطائرة جبريًّا وفقًا للمادة (الثالثة والستين) من هذا النظام فإن هذا البيع يشمل قطع الغيار المحجوز عليها، ويتم نقل ملكيتها للمشتري الجديد. 2- إذ
- Article 71
The 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.
يقصد بالحجز التحفظي في مفهوم هذا الفصل: كل تصرف أيًّا كانت تسميته يتم بمقتضاه وقف الطائرة رعاية لمصلحة خاصة عن طريق القضاء أو السلطات المختصة لصالح الدائن أو ال
- Article 72
The 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.
لا تسري أحكام هذا الفصل على الإجراءات التحفظية الخاصة بدعاوى الإفلاس، ولا على الإجراءات التحفظية التي تتخذ عند مخالفة أحكام هذا النظام، أو الأنظمة الجمركية ، أو
- Article 73
The 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.
1 - لا يوقع الحجز التحفظي على ما يأتي : أ - الطائرات المخصصة لخدمة الدولة، ويستثنى من ذلك ما خصص لخدمة التجارة. ب - الطائرات المستخدمة فعلا وبصورة مطلقة على خط
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.