Saudi Arabia Seals Deal for SITAONAIR’s ATC Services

Saudi Air Navigation Services (SANS), the official body responsible for air navigation services in Saudi Arabia, has formally selected SITAONAIR to elevate the Kingdom’s air traffic management capabilities, through to 2025.

SITAONAIR will deliver its country-wide, state-of-the-art VHF and Digital Automatic Terminal Information Service (D-ATIS) solutions for Saudi Air Navigation Services (SANS), benefiting all airlines flying in Saudi Arabia.

Under the agreement, SITAONAIR will establish additional VHF stations providing coverage in new locations, including the Empty Quarter desert. It will also further optimize datalink coverage and services by upgrading both existing stations and SITAONAIR’s AIRCOMcats D-ATIS gateway server to better serve airports and airspace users.

The project will specifically aim to ensure coverage in the southeast and northwest of Saudi Arabia for en route traffic, increasing the availability of VHF/VDL networks at all main airports in the Kingdom and beyond.

SANS CEO, Eng. Ryyan Tarabzoni, says: “Safety is one of the foremost and primary factors at the heart of our operations, and in order to ensure that we operate at the highest safety standards we always strive to implement the best global safety practices and latest technologies.

“SANS selects various industry leaders – in this case SITAONAIR, who will be providing enhanced datalink communications to support increasing air traffic in Saudi skies and enhance communications between air traffic controllers and pilots. We look forward to seeing this project develop, and cementing our place as a regional ANSP leader.”

Stephan Egli, Commercial Regional VP Middle-East, Africa & Europe, SITAONAIR, says: “We’re exceptionally proud to be Saudi Air Navigation Services’ official partner in enhancing air traffic services in the kingdom for the entire air transport community. This official seal to our partnership demonstrates our mutual commitment to providing best-in-class solutions to SANS and their airline customers.”

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.