The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) celebrated the International Day of Air Traffic Controller on Thursday with functions in both Jeddah in Riyadh air traffic centers, as well at the Saudi Aviation Academy. Transport Minister Suliman Alhamdan, who is also the chairman of GACA, expressed his thanks and appreciation to the air traffic control centers staff, stressing that this was «the fruit of our investment in the human resources that are the real wealth of the nation." He went on to say that the controllers went through rigorous training and education regiments that GACA provided for them, whether at the Saudi Aviation Academy, or through scholarship programs abroad. He added that GACA enabled those young controllers to comprehend all of the latest technological advances in this field. In a message sent to all air traffic control staff, the minister said: "We have the right in this occasion to be proud of the fact that our Saudization effort in this sector have reached 100 percent, and despite the increase of air traffic that the Kingdom's airspace is witnessing, we were able to employ a large number of Saudi air traffic controllers to keep pace with this constant growth and to ensure the safety and security of the Kingdom's airspace. And here you're today performing your vital role efficiently and effectively." — SG
