The General Authority of Civil Aviation announced that all airports in Saudi Arabia have obtained environmental operating permits from the National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) after meeting the environmental requirements. NCEC explained that these permits commit each airport to submitting environmental reports and plans and to periodic environmental inspection. This makes the airport environmental permit a clear model of what awaits every facility working in or around aviation: maintenance hangars, fuel farms, ground handling and in-flight catering.
Why aviation activities are subject to environmental permits
An airport is not just runways and aircraft but a system of activities, each with an environmental impact:
- Aviation fuel farms and hydrant lines: leak, spill and vapor risks.
- Maintenance hangars: oils, solvents, paints, batteries and damaged parts.
- Ground handling: equipment and vehicle fleets, wash bays and generators.
- Catering and restaurants: large volumes of organic waste and grease-laden water.
- Wastewater from buildings, workshops and wash areas.
- Cooling and air conditioning systems in buildings and warehouses.
Who needs a permit in the aviation sector?
The Environmental Permits Regulation applies to every owner or operator of an activity expected to have an environmental impact. So, depending on the nature and classification of their activity, the following may each need their own permit:
- Operators of airports, airstrips and heliports.
- Aircraft maintenance companies and their hangars.
- Fuelling companies and fuel farms.
- Ground handling and in-flight catering companies.
NCEC sets each activity's category after reviewing the classification form, which determines whether an environmental management plan or an EIA study is needed.
Aviation fuel farms: Air Quality Regulation requirements
The Air Quality Regulation sets requirements for storing volatile organic compounds, some of which apply to fixed tanks larger than 75 cubic meters (excluding fuel station tanks and mobile tanks), including:
- No storage of volatile organic compounds in fixed tanks unless fitted with a control device as specified in the regulation's annex.
- Floating-roof tanks fitted with primary and secondary seals, with routine visual inspection of valves and seals, regular self-inspection and routine maintenance.
- Repairing any defect NCEC finds in these tanks within 30 working days of the inspection.
- Protective valves and vapor recovery for tanks larger than 5 cubic meters, a documented preventive maintenance schedule, and records of stored materials and tank capacities.
Noise: an explicit exemption in the regulation
The Noise Regulation states that it does not cover airports, along with other exemptions such as railways and port operations. This exemption covers the airport itself; support facilities outside the airport's scope and construction sites in expansion projects remain subject to the usual area limits and construction hours (7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for works exceeding the limits).
New airports and airstrips
Every new project starts with an environmental construction permit before any construction work. Because airport projects are large and affect wide areas and receptors, they are likely to need an EIA study. The regulation requires environmental assessment to be part of the feasibility study and preliminary design, not added after the design is complete. For large projects needing longer design and financing periods, the construction permit may be extended by two years if the extension request is included in the EIA study.
After the permit: ongoing obligations
- Periodic environmental reports and self-monitoring reports.
- Implementing the environmental management plan across all facilities.
- Disposing of hazardous waste (oils, solvents, batteries) through carriers licensed by the National Center for Waste Management (MWAN), with transport documents.
- Servicing cooling systems through licensed parties that recover gas under the Ozone-Depleting Substances Regulation.
- Readiness for periodic inspection with up-to-date records and spill emergency procedures.
- A new permit before any expansion or change in the size or type of activity.
- An environmental audit at operating permit renewal for Categories 2 and 3.
Frequently Asked Questions about Airport Environmental Permits
Does a ground handling company need a permit separate from the airport?
It may, because the regulation applies to every operator of an activity with an environmental impact. NCEC decides after reviewing the classification form for the company's own activity.
Does the Noise Regulation apply to airports?
No. The Noise Regulation explicitly exempts airports from its scope, but it applies to facilities and construction sites outside that exemption.
How long is the operating permit for an airport or its facilities valid?
NCEC sets the operating permit validity between three and six years depending on the size and complexity of the activity.
What happens when a maintenance hangar or fuel farm is expanded?
The regulation requires a new permit before any change to the type or size of the activity, so the environmental file is reviewed before the work starts.
How Abak Green helps
We manage the environmental file for aviation facilities: classification, the environmental management plan, periodic reports, records and inspection readiness. For new airports and airstrips, we manage the EIA file through approval. Contact us about your facility.
