Saudia Group announced the largest aircraft deal in Saudi aviation history with Airbus during the first day of the Future Aviation Forum 2024 held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. This landmark agreement encompasses 105 confirmed aircraft and marks a significant moment not only for the Saudi aviation industry but also for the wider MENA region. The ceremony, in the presence of the minister of Transport and Logistics Services and chairman of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation, Saleh Al-Jasser, was attended by dignitaries, country ambassadors and key figures from the global aviation sector, as well as a multitude of media representatives and industry experts specializing in travel, aviation, and transportation.
The deal, signed by Ibrahim Al Omar, the director general of Saudia Group, and Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, executive vice president sales of the commercial aircraft business, includes A320neo and A321neo models. These aircraft will be distributed between Saudia and flyadeal, the group’s low-cost carrier. Saudia will acquire 54 A321neo aircraft, while flyadeal will receive 12 A320neo and 39 A321neo aircraft.
The new aircraft directly supports Saudia Group’s objectives to connect the world with the country, aligning with several key pillars of Saudi Vision 2030. These include the transportation and logistics objective to increase guest capacity to 330 million and expand destinations to 250 by 2030, and the tourism objective to attract 150 million visits by 2030. This is in addition to the Hajj and Umrah objective to contribute to the increase of Umrah pilgrim capacity to 30 million by 2030.
“The new additions of the A320neo family aircraft will play a vital role in contributing to Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan,” said Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, EVP sales of the commercial aircraft business. “It will enable Saudia Group’s strategy to advance the Kingdom’s aviation capabilities while enabling both airlines to benefit from the A320neo Family’s exceptional efficiency, superior economics, highest level of passenger comfort as well as lower fuel-burn and emissions.”