SAUDIA says domestic aviation sector robust; aims to increase seats

Abdullah AlShahrani, Director of Corporate Communication and Media Affairs at SAUDIA

Saudi Arabia’s aviation market is very strong and Jeddah–Riyadh route is the fourth busiest in the world, Abdullah AlShahrani, Director of Corporate Communication and Media Affairs at SAUDIA, told Argaam on the sidelines of the Future Aviation Forum 2022 in Riyadh.

He added that the group is working to expand its seat capacity.

The airline focuses on new cities to increase the number of destinations to 250 from the current level of 100, in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030.

Further, AlShahrani indicated that the group has four main pillars of transformation, namely development of operations, digital transformation, making Jeddah Airport a transit hub and SAUDIA a key aspect of Vision 2030.

The number of passengers increased by 75% year-on-year in Q1 2022, and the number of flights grew by 40%, the top official said.

He added that the airline launched 10 new destinations to attract more visitors to the Kingdom and to implement the tourism, entertainment and vision plans.

SAUDIA cooperated with the Ministry of Tourism, the General Entertainment Authority and the Ministry of Culture to reflect the Saudi culture inside aircraft, AlShahrani said.

Commenting on offering the company’s shares to the public, he said the airline does not have any current plans in this regard.