TheGeneral Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has been keen to providedistinguished services for travelers and preserve their rights at the Kingdom'sairports, and on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day, GACA reviews thesteps it has taken in order to preserve the rights of travelers in Saudiairports. This is achieved through many measures, as GACA has established aspecialized department to oversee all matters relating to the protection ofconsumer rights. It aims to preserve the rights of passengers, take care ofcustomer protection, and the quality of services provided to travelersthroughout the kingdom's airports and the air carriers alike. Meanwhile itraises the level of civil aviation services in general to a level of advancedand competitive services worldwide.
GACAhas issued a set of Executive Regulations to protect the rights of customers bydecision of the General Authority of Civil Aviation Board of Director's No.(20/380) dated 26/5/1438, and its provisions apply to flights departing fromthe Kingdom's airports, whether on national air carriers, or foreign airlinesand furthermore, on arriving flights by a national air carrier, unless thepassenger is compensated or assisted according to the rules of the country ofdeparture, without prejudice to the provisions of the international treaties towhich the Kingdom is a party of and its amendments.
TheCustomer Protection Department is committed to many tasks and responsibilities,including the implementation of the provisions of the Executive Regulations andputting them into practice, by issuing the instructions and mechanismsnecessary for their implementation. The department also supervises the guidanceof the authorities operating in the air transport sector in everything relatedto customer rights and the mechanism for dealing with it, in addition toreceiving customer complaints regarding what falls within the scope of customerprotection, analyzing them and requesting any data from air carriers to solveproblems related to those complaints, in addition to setting policies relatedto customer rights in accordance with these regulations and their approval byGACA and furthermore, referring the violations of provisions of the Regulationto the Committee that looks into the violations of the provisions of the civilaviation system.
Itis worth noting that GACA has obligated air carriers operating in the Kingdomto pay compensation in excess of 65 million Saudi riyals for travelers, afterviolating the terms and obligations of air transport contracts with them. Thisprocedure comes in implementing the provisions of the regulation of protectingthe rights of customers and in line with the directives of GACA towardsupgrading the level of services provided to travelers, and improving theirexperience in accordance with the highest international standards.
Thecase of "loss, damage, or luggage delays" came first in terms ofcompensation, followed by "flight delays" and lastly"cancellation of flights" so that these compensation included all aircarriers operating in the Kingdom.
GACAhad previously launched information campaigns aimed at introducing the ExecutiveRegulations to protect customers rights under the slogan "Your right isreserved", which reflects on the quality of services and facilitating alldifficulties that travelers may face. This is in addition to enhance theprinciple of transparency, and caring for the rights of persons withdisabilities during their travel.
GACA also calls on the public to view the Executive Regulations to protect the rights of customers through its website (www.gaca.gov.sa). Also, travelers wishing to submit complaints against air carriers can contact the call center on number 8001198888 around the clock.
