(Boursier.com) — In the corridors for several months, Saudia’s huge order fromAirbus is now official. The Saudi national carrier will acquire 105 single-aisle aircraft from the European giant as the Kingdom invests billions of dollars to transform the country into an aviation and tourism hub.
The agreement – which includes 93 A321neos and 12 A320neos – is the largest in Saudia’s 80-year history, reports ‘Bloomberg’. The order would have been larger but the European aircraft manufacturer was not able to provide additional delivery slots before 2032, the airline said. “We need more than 180 planes but there are no slots,” Saudia spokesperson Abdullah Alshahrani told ‘Bloomberg’. “We need the planes now. This is our request.” Saudia should start receiving single-aisle aircraft from 2026, around half of which will be entrusted to its low-cost subsidiary Flyadeal.
The deal was announced at the Future Aviation Forum in the Saudi capital Riyadh, where deals worth more than $12 billion are expected to be signed. It comes as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reshapes the local aviation market, with Saudia repositioned to focus on religious pilgrimages and Riyadh Air to cater to tourists. Saudi Arabia’s goal is to attract 150 million tourists a year by 2030, including 70 million from abroad, as part of a broader campaign to diversify the Kingdom’s economy. recalls the agency. Saudia expects passenger numbers to surpass pre-Covid record in 2024 and targets 150 destinations by 2030.
The Public Investment Fund, or PIF as the Saudi sovereign wealth fund is known, is in preliminary talks to acquire Saudia from the Saudi government as early as next year, ‘Bloomberg’ reported in March. The carrier could then be privatized or merged with Riyadh Air, which is expected to start commercial flights in 2025.
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