Middle East · Saudi Arabia

Handling at Riyadh (OERK)

We handle overflight permits, slots, flight plans, fuel, customs and the turnaround at Riyadh King Khalid. One coordinator owns the stop at Riyadh, from the first filing to wheels up.

AERODROME

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ICAO: OERK
IATA: RUH
Elevation: 2,049 ft
Position: 24.958, 46.699

RUNWAYS

15L/33R4,205 m / 13,796 ftAsphalt
15R/33L4,205 m / 13,796 ftAsphalt

Reference only, not for flight planning. Lengths are full declared runway length rather than declared distances, and this page is not amended on the AIRAC cycle. Check the current AIP and NOTAMs, or ask the desk and we will check them for you.

The field

What OERK is actually like

King Khalid is the main airport for the Saudi capital and handles a growing volume of business aviation as the country opens to international visitors. There is a dedicated general aviation terminal on the field.

Operating brief

What we handle before you file

Permits

Saudi Arabia requires landing and overflight permits through GACA for all foreign operators, and the lead time is the longest single item on most trips into the Kingdom. Short-notice approval happens but should never be the plan.

Slots and parking

Prior permission applies. Parking is generally available, and the general aviation terminal makes the ground experience considerably faster than the main terminals.

Customs and border

Saudi entry has opened up considerably, though requirements still turn on nationality and purpose of visit. Crew documentation is examined rather than glanced at.

When it gets tight

The autumn and winter conference season, and the periods around Ramadan and Hajj, which reshape both demand and airspace across the region. Confirm the current picture rather than planning against a normal week.

On the ground

Off the aircraft and into the car

A dedicated general aviation terminal keeps private traffic away from the main halls and makes the ground experience considerably faster than the permit process would lead you to expect. Central Riyadh is thirty-five minutes on good roads.

Alternates

Where we go when OERK will not take the trip

Every one of these is a field we would put to you with the reason attached, not a list of nearby runways.

OEJN
Jeddah King Abdulaziz
The Red Sea coast, and the gateway for anything heading to Mecca or the western region.
OEDF
Dammam King Fahd
The Eastern Province, close to Bahrain, and the field for the oil sector.
OBBI
Bahrain International
Across the causeway, a simpler permit process, and a common workaround on short notice.

What we handle here