Company Insights Saudia Aviation Latest Saudia DevelopmentsAI Insights Saudia transported over nine million passengers in the third quarter of 2024, marking a 10 percent rise from the same period the previous year. The company operated more than 49,500 flights with an on-time rate of 87.8 percent5. Saudia plans to transform its operations, focusing on Jeddah as a hub for connecting traffic. The company aims to increase pilgrim numbers to the western province by 60 percent, supporting the target of reaching 30 million by 20303. King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah is undergoing a $31 billion expansion to boost capacity from 40 million to 114 million passengers. Riyadh Air's upcoming launch will replace Saudia as the kingdom's main flag carrier1. Saudia finalised a deal to acquire up to 20 wide-body A330neo aircraft from Airbus. Deliveries will begin in 2027 and extend to 2029, which aligns with its long-term vision to connect 250 destinations and achieve significant passenger growth by 20302. The company aims to expand its network while partnering with Germany's Lilium for 50 pilotless electric flying vehicles to start arriving in 20264. Saudia Overview Saudia, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, is the state-owned flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It started out in 1945 with a single twin-engine DC-3 (Dakota) HZ-AAX gifted to King Abdul Aziz by US President Franklin D Roosevelt. Today Saudia has more than 140 aircraft operated to over 100 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and US. Saudia’s main hubs are the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which it plans to move out of by 2030. Saudia has been part of the SkyTeam airline alliance since 2012 and is a founding member of the Arab Air Carriers’ Organization. Saudia’s parent company Saudia Group plans to increase its fleet to 300 aircraft by the end of 2032. In May 2024 it ordered 105 Airbus A320-family narrowbody jets, the largest deal in the kingdom’s aviation history, with around half going to Saudia and half to Saudia’s low-cost sister airline Flyadeal. It also placed an order in 2023 for 39 widebody Boeing 787s, with an option for a further 10. In July 2024 Saudia placed an order with Germany’s Lilium to buy at least 50 pilotless electric flying vehicles, which are due to start arriving in 2026. Saudia News Aviation Saudi’s air passenger numbers up, but off target Saudi Arabia recorded a 15 percent rise in air passenger numbers year on year in 2024, below the pace needed to achieve an ambitious target by 2030. Last year 128 million passengers travelled through the kingdom’s airports, according to the General Authority for Statistics. Of these, 69 million were international travellers, while 59 million were […] May 19, 2025 EXCLUSIVE Aviation Expect commercial jet shortages until 2030, warns Flyadeal CEO The head of Saudi low-cost carrier Flyadeal has warned that deliveries of in-demand commercial jets to the aviation industry will be severely constrained until the end of the decade. Flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway told AGBI that despite having eight Airbus A320 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2025, the airline is planning on receiving only five. […] May 1, 2025 Aviation China’s Boeing boycott opens doors for Gulf carriers China’s escalating trade standoff with the US is reverberating through the global aviation industry, offering opportunities for Gulf airlines, as Chinese carriers refuse to accept US-built Boeing aircraft. Speaking on a first quarter earnings call on Wednesday, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed that several Chinese customers have declined to accept new aircraft due to retaliatory […] April 25, 2025 Aviation Saudia signs Airbus deal for up to 20 wide-body aircraft Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s national airline, has finalised a new agreement with European manufacturer Airbus to buy up to 20 new wide-body A330neo aircraft. Of these, 10 are firm orders for Flyadeal, the group’s budget airline, the carrier said in a statement. The delivery of these aircraft is set to start in 2027, with the last […] April 24, 2025 Aviation Saudi Arabia invites bids for charter airline Saudi Arabia’s aviation regulator is inviting bids to set up a national charter airline. The General Authority of Civil Aviation opened the bid process on April 13 and has set a submission deadline of May 21, it said in a statement. All the bids will be opened on May 22. In February the regulator announced […] April 14, 2025 Aviation Kuwait Airways rules out profit for at least two years State-owned Kuwait Airways does not expect to turn a profit for at least another two years as it struggles to recover from losses built up during the Covid 19 pandemic, its chairman said. Abdulmohsen Alfagaan told Kuwait’s daily Alseyassah that the airline is looking into what airplanes it needs and its network of destinations, anticipating […] March 18, 2025 Analysis Aviation Saudia ‘still a flag carrier’ ahead of Riyadh Air launch Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier Saudia is upgrading its fleet with new Boeing and Airbus aircraft even as the government prepares to start a new airline later this year. The 80-year-old carrier has 118 aircraft on order, most of which will replace older models in its existing fleet of 147, and are scheduled to arrive through […] March 14, 2025 Opinion Aviation Schedule shift signals a busy summer for Middle East airlines As airlines prepare to switch timetables, the Gulf looks set for growth, new routes and cautious optimism March 10, 2025 Aviation AirAsia raises $226m but stays quiet on PIF The parent company of Malaysian budget airline AirAsia has raised 1 billion ringgit ($226 million) to complete its reorganisation plan, according to a news report. “We have a 1 billion (ringgit) placement,” Capital A group CEO Tony Fernandes said at a press conference. “Don’t ask me questions on PIF’s placement order book – we are not […] March 10, 2025 Opinion Aviation Egypt’s aviation sector must strive to reach its potential Improved connectivity and new infrastructure will help the country regain market share February 28, 2025 Posts navigation 1 2 … 12 Next
Aviation Saudi’s air passenger numbers up, but off target Saudi Arabia recorded a 15 percent rise in air passenger numbers year on year in 2024, below the pace needed to achieve an ambitious target by 2030. Last year 128 million passengers travelled through the kingdom’s airports, according to the General Authority for Statistics. Of these, 69 million were international travellers, while 59 million were […] May 19, 2025
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Expect commercial jet shortages until 2030, warns Flyadeal CEO The head of Saudi low-cost carrier Flyadeal has warned that deliveries of in-demand commercial jets to the aviation industry will be severely constrained until the end of the decade. Flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway told AGBI that despite having eight Airbus A320 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2025, the airline is planning on receiving only five. […] May 1, 2025
Aviation China’s Boeing boycott opens doors for Gulf carriers China’s escalating trade standoff with the US is reverberating through the global aviation industry, offering opportunities for Gulf airlines, as Chinese carriers refuse to accept US-built Boeing aircraft. Speaking on a first quarter earnings call on Wednesday, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed that several Chinese customers have declined to accept new aircraft due to retaliatory […] April 25, 2025
Aviation Saudia signs Airbus deal for up to 20 wide-body aircraft Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s national airline, has finalised a new agreement with European manufacturer Airbus to buy up to 20 new wide-body A330neo aircraft. Of these, 10 are firm orders for Flyadeal, the group’s budget airline, the carrier said in a statement. The delivery of these aircraft is set to start in 2027, with the last […] April 24, 2025
Aviation Saudi Arabia invites bids for charter airline Saudi Arabia’s aviation regulator is inviting bids to set up a national charter airline. The General Authority of Civil Aviation opened the bid process on April 13 and has set a submission deadline of May 21, it said in a statement. All the bids will be opened on May 22. In February the regulator announced […] April 14, 2025
Aviation Kuwait Airways rules out profit for at least two years State-owned Kuwait Airways does not expect to turn a profit for at least another two years as it struggles to recover from losses built up during the Covid 19 pandemic, its chairman said. Abdulmohsen Alfagaan told Kuwait’s daily Alseyassah that the airline is looking into what airplanes it needs and its network of destinations, anticipating […] March 18, 2025
Analysis Aviation Saudia ‘still a flag carrier’ ahead of Riyadh Air launch Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier Saudia is upgrading its fleet with new Boeing and Airbus aircraft even as the government prepares to start a new airline later this year. The 80-year-old carrier has 118 aircraft on order, most of which will replace older models in its existing fleet of 147, and are scheduled to arrive through […] March 14, 2025
Opinion Aviation Schedule shift signals a busy summer for Middle East airlines As airlines prepare to switch timetables, the Gulf looks set for growth, new routes and cautious optimism March 10, 2025
Aviation AirAsia raises $226m but stays quiet on PIF The parent company of Malaysian budget airline AirAsia has raised 1 billion ringgit ($226 million) to complete its reorganisation plan, according to a news report. “We have a 1 billion (ringgit) placement,” Capital A group CEO Tony Fernandes said at a press conference. “Don’t ask me questions on PIF’s placement order book – we are not […] March 10, 2025
Opinion Aviation Egypt’s aviation sector must strive to reach its potential Improved connectivity and new infrastructure will help the country regain market share February 28, 2025
