Sky Prime Aviation Services, which has one of its VIP Airbus A340s on display here at MEBAA, was awarded a Part 121 license in August to operate high-end charter in Saudi Arabia, at a ceremony in Riyadh attended by Minister of Transport, Sulaiman Al Hamdan.

Al Hamdan, who is also acting head of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), was quoted in news reports as saying 2017 would see a watershed in Saudi aviation.

“[Next year] will be a historic turning point in the Kingdom’s air transport industry as a number of airlines such as Sky Prime, Nesma and, later on, Flyadeal, will enter the domestic air operation competition. Any increase in the number of air operators will help increase the supply of seats in domestic flights,” he said.

Saudia Private Aviation will provide ground handling for the new airline at Riyadh, Jeddah and Medina, as well as other airports in the kingdom. “Millions of travelers fly around the world, but few of them share the privilege of having their most exclusive expectations fulfilled,” said Sky Prime’s CEO Salem Abaid Al-Muzaini.

The fact that a license has been granted to Sky Prime indicates the extent to which air travel is regarded as the preserve of high-net-worth individuals in the kingdom. Sky Prime said its services included “charter flights; in-house maintenance and technical support; in-house ground support and consultancy services; aviation project management; and airport management.”

Launched on December 29, 2015, Sky Prime’s fleet is understood to include seven aircraft: An Airbus A340-200, A340-600, A320-200; a Gulfstream G450 and G550; as well as an Embraer EMB-550 and Legacy 500.

The A340-200 on static display here was also shown at Abu Dhabi Air Expo in February. One of Sky Prime’s A340s is VIP-configured for 77 passengers with two bedrooms and a lounge.

Riyadh-based Sky Prime (Stand 600, Chalet A16) was founded in 2015 as the business jet VIP management and charter arm of Alpha Star Aviation, which is understood to cater to Saudi royal family members.

Sky Prime’s Twitter account said that a particular focus for the company would be Islamic tourism, including Hajj and Umrah trips, when pilgrims visit the holy sites in Mecca and Medina.