The launch of start-ups SaudiGulf Airlines (SGQ, Dammam) and Al Maha Airways (Riyadh) has been delayed yet again Saudi Arabia's vice president for Safety & Air Transport Abdul Hakeem Al-Badr has said. The airlines were selected by Riyadh in 2012 to bring in competition to the Saudi domestic market as part of a series of reforms. They have, however, struggled to get airborne amid continuous delays in completing their certification.

In a brief statement issued to the Al Watan newspaper, Al-Badr said the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) still had lingering concerns about several undisclosed 'technical issues' which has resulted in the delay.

Both carriers have already sourced a quartet of A320-200s in anticipation of launching multiple daily rotations between Dammam, Jeddah International, and Riyadh initially. Saudi Gulf, which had set its sights on a November launch date, will import its first aircraft into the Kingdom next month Al-Badr added.

The Saudi market is dominated by two airlines - state-owned Saudia (SV, Jeddah International) and LCC flynas (XY, Riyadh). Last month, Saudia's Chief Executive Officer Abdul Mohsen Jonaid told Bloomberg news that his airline was studying the possibility of setting up its own budget subsidiary to compete with flynas.