RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Aviation Academy is planning to open its doors to members of the general public interested in the aviation industry, its CEO told Arab News on Monday. Founded in 2004, the academy is one of the earliest flight schools in Saudi Arabia that provides training in all fields related to aviation. Talking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh, Ismail Koshy highlighted the importance of training local cadres within the Kingdom. He stressed that making training opportunities available locally was even more important than purchasing aircraft. The academy currently provides its services only to airline companies students. “This year and the following year, we are opening up to the public, so before, people would have to travel outside the country to get training, now we will be able to provide any kind of aviation training,” Koshy told Arab News. He said the move to offer all aviation-related training within Saudi Arabia is in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.