The Saudia Group aims to expand its network of destinations and increase transit travel among the world’s continents and the Kingdom by increasing its aircraft fleet. This expansion aligns with the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, including transporting 330 million passengers, facilitating 150 million visits, and hosting 30 million Umrah pilgrims. Also, it aims to enhance its role in supporting and empowering tourism, entertainment events, sports competitions, and various conferences and events hosted by the Kingdom.
To align with these goals, the Saudia Group visited Airbus in Hamburg, Germany, following the deal signed between the two parties in May 2024. The deal includes the purchase of 105 aircraft, models A321neo and A320neo. Once all the aircraft have been delivered, the Saudi fleet will be among the most modern globally.
This deal will directly impact the national economy with an estimated value of SAR2.5 billion by increasing local content and manu
facturing capabilities and providing opportunities for entrepreneurship in the Kingdom. It also forms a comprehensive strategy focused on localizing expertise and training specialized personnel. The manufacturing stages will offer greater opportunities for innovation and renewal in aviation, from production lines and logistics services to technology and artificial intelligence.
Integrating these aircraft into the Kingdom’s operations will have future benefits, including enabling the Saudia Group, through its engineering arm, Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries, to become a maintenance hub for the Kingdom, the Middle East, and North Africa. Moreover, the group’s training arm, Saudia Academy, will train aircraft operations and flight management competencies.
This deal also opens up new economic cooperation horizons between Saudi Arabia and European countries allied with Airbus, enhancing investments and providing direct and indirect job opportunities in those countries, particularly Germany.
The Saudi
a Group’s visit also reflects its ambition to diversify its fleet to meet the current and future requirements under the ambitious national goals of connecting the world to the Kingdom. This includes the purchase of 100 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jets, marking a new direction for Saudia towards acquiring the latest innovations in aviation. These aircraft can take off, land vertically, and are fully powered by electricity.
This step follows the memorandum of understanding signed in October 2022 in Riyadh during the Future Investment Initiative Conference between the group and the German company Lilium to manufacture electric aircraft. These electric aircraft can eliminate the need for traditional airports, cover a distance of up to 175 kilometres, reach speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour, and accommodate six passengers, offering significant time savings for individual travellers compared to other options.
According to Saudia’s operational aspirations, these aircraft will help connec
t multiple destinations and provide air routes among the main airports where the group operates. They will serve Hajj and Umrah flights, reach various events and tourist destinations, and support the business sector.
Source: Saudi Press Agency