Tag Archives: Saudia

SAUDIA launched its first flight from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport in Nice, France. This marks SAUDIA’s second destination in France as part of its phased implementation strategy aimed at expanding its international network. It is also the newest Summer seasonal destination SAUDIA introduced this year. Baakdah emphasized the significance of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries through the introduction of SAUDIA’s flights to Nice Airport and connecting the existing flights to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. This was part of the plan announced at the beginning of this year to expand the airline’s existing flight network. As part of the plan, SAUDIA aims to increase the number of destinations and expand the aircraft fleet to achieve operational goals. Additionally, SAUDIA has been focusing on developing its digital service ecosystem to enhance the guest experience. The inaugural SAUDIA flight, SV129, departed from King Khalid International Airport to the city of Nice, in the presence of Mr. Mohammad Baakdah, the Vice President of Ground Operations at SAUDIA, and Mr. Mohammed Alshammari, the Chief Operations Officer at Riyadh Airports Company, along with several operations and management officials. To commemorate the flight’s launch, a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the airport at AlFursan International Lounge.

SAUDIA proudly launched its inaugural flight from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah to Gatwick International Airport in London. Gatwick Airport holds the second position among the United Kingdom’s airports. This launch is part of the implementation stages of the airline’s new strategy, aimed at expanding its reach to new international destinations, and connecting the world to the Kingdom, based on marketing and operational studies. It aligns with the vision of SAUDIA Group to operate flights to 25 destinations across 3 continents. The inaugural flight of SAUDIA, SV119, departed from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah to the city of London. The event was attended by Mrs. Cecille El Beleidi, the British Consul General in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Mr. Mohammed Baakdhah, Vice President of Ground Operations at SAUDIA. The inauguration ceremony was held at the AlFursan Lounge, signaling the departure of the first flight at the airport. Mohammad Baakdhah highlighted the importance of strengthening relations between the two countries through the launch of new destinations by SAUDIA to Gatwick Airport, and soon to Birmingham. These additions will join the existing flights to London Heathrow Airport and Manchester International Airport. He further explained that the increase in destinations is accompanied by an unprecedented development of the SAUDIA fleet, ensuring the achievement of operational targets, in addition to continuous improvement in the digital service system.

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) and Saudi insurance company, Al-Rajhi Takaful have signed an agreement ensuring that guests traveling from the Kingdom have access to a comprehensive travel insurance policy which they can secure online. This partnership highlights SAUDIA’s commitment to expanding its after-sales services while enhancing passengers travel experience. The signing took place at SAUDIA’s Headquarters, in the presence of Captain Ibrahim Al-Koshy, CEO of SAUDIA, and Mr. Saud Ghonem Bin Ghonem, CEO of Takaful Al-Rajhi Insurance Company. Under this agreement, SAUDIA guests traveling from the Kingdom to various parts of the world will be equipped with a comprehensive travel insurance. SAUDIA guests will receive special prices on the travel insurance. The service can be used digitally during the completion of travel procedures through SAUDIA’s website (www.saudia.com) and smart phone application, the link will then direct users to the Al-Rajhi Takaful system to complete the process and benefit from a range of services, including cases of emergencies and claims. Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO of SAUDIA said: “At SAUDIA enhancing guest experience and providing them with the best services is one of our main priorities. This includes our partnership with introducing Al Rajhi Takaful as we are witnessing increasing demand, indicating that what distinguishes this service is the ease of transition between SAUDIA and Al Rajhi Takaful systems. This agreement ensures the facilitation of the travel insurance purchasing process, while providing direct support to our guests to ensure their comfort and guarantee a travel experience worth repeating. These services, among others, are constantly reviewed and evaluated, while utilizing guests’ feedback to undertake developments that meet their expectations”. Saud Ghonem Bin Ghonem, CEO of Takaful Al-Rajhi said: “This agreement aligns with the …

SAUDIA has signed an agreement with global professional services firm Accenture paving the way for a digital transformation program that will make the airline’s guest experience seamless and highly personalized while improving operational efficiency. His Excellency the Director General of SAUDIA Group, Eng. Ibrahim bin Abdul Rahman Al-Omar and the Chief Executive Officer of Accenture, Julie Sweet, during a meeting to announce the new collaboration. Through this agreement, SAUDIA will use artificial intelligence technologies to significantly enhance its digital infrastructure and build more than 260 new digital and electronic services in two years. SAUDIA’s guests will be able to enjoy more personalized services and a smooth travel experience possible across the entire travel cycle, from ticket search and booking to check-in, and from in-flight services to post-sale support. All the digital systems developed by Accenture will be designed specifically for SAUDIA, increasing operational efficiency and reducing operational costs, thanks to a new enterprise-wide cloud-based data foundation. This agreement will include several tracks to enhance SAUDIA’s guest value and help deliver the company’s strategic objectives. Specific initiatives will include a digital experience studio, digital infrastructure decoupling that accelerates and de-risks digital transformation processes, modernization of technical systems, creation of a cloud data lake, and development of a smart guest care center. “SAUDIA is looking to reimagine how our guests can choose, buy and enjoy leisure, business, and religious experiences,” said Dr. Khaled Alhazmi, Chief Information Officer, SAUDIA. “With Accenture’s support, we will create seamless and curated journeys with hyper-relevant experiences across digital and human-driven interactions. Guests will be able to modify flights, purchase transit eVisas, and enjoy new self-service features across all digital channels.” “Through this strategic collaboration, our primary aim …

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) has signed a partnership agreement with Bondai, a one-stop travel app that empowers friends and groups alike to plan unique experiences and adventures around the Kingdom. The travel app provides a trustworthy and safe digital ecosystem to help users to plan their next trip including access to flights, transportation, accommodation, and activities. From mountain hikes and camping around a campfire, to snorkelling in marine-life rich waters, Bondai enables travellers to explore popular spots and hidden gems all around the country. As part of the MoU, which was signed by Mrs. Manal Alshehri, VP Passenger Sales at SAUDIA and Mrs. Saria Elderhali, CEO of Bondai during the 2023 Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, SAUDIA will collaborate with the technology travel company to provide best-in-class tours and experiences. The partnership forms an important part of SAUDIA’s commitment to supporting inbound tourism within the Kingdom as the ‘wings of Vision 2030’. Mrs. Manal Alshehri, said: “At SAUDIA we are deeply committed to collaborating with innovative partners that share our mission to transform Saudi Arabia into a world-class tourism hub. As part of Vision 2030 there are plans to raise the contribution of the tourism sector to more than ten percent of GDP in addition to providing one million job opportunities within the Kingdom. We are dedicated to further bolstering this promising sector by contributing to unique experiences and trips that bring the very best of Saudi Arabia to travellers everywhere.” From Bondai, Founder & CEO Ms. Saria Alderhali commented “I am thrilled to be partnering with Saudia Holidays. This partnership marks a major milestone for Bondai, as it allows us to expand our reach and provide even more travelers with …

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) and Kuwait Airways announced a codeshare agreement, which provides enhanced connections and convenience to guests of both airlines, in a signing ceremony that took place in SAUDIA’s headquarter in Jeddah. As part of its codeshare cooperation, each airline will place the other airline’s marketing code on its flights operated between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and other routes with the alliance; the agreement will come into effect after obtaining all approvals. Both airlines agreed to expand all kinds of Interline Cooperation and the implementation is expected during the Summer Season 2023. The codeshare will further promote bilateral and strategic partnership for the benefit of both airlines, enabling them to offer more competitive and cost-effective services that will allow their guests to enjoy a better travelling experience. The new Codeshare partnership will strengthen and take to new heights the cordial commercial long-standing relationship existing between SAUDIA and Kuwait Airways. SAUDIA has been carrying guests between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait by operating four daily flights. Similarly, Kuwait Airways has been serving passengers on this route and operating six daily flights between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Guests may expect to gain all the benefits of codeshare flights including seamless connectivity, baggage transfer and the convenience of having their entire journey managed by one airline from the purchasing of tickets to the arrival at their final destination. Furthermore, guests of both airlines will enjoy increased alternative flight options across each other’s network. SAUDIA CEO, Captain Ibrahim Koshy said: “We are delighted to partner with Kuwait Airways and give their guests the opportunity to experience SAUDIA’s world-renowned hospitality onboard. We look forward to further growing our relationship with this important partner and …

SAUDIA and Lumi, announce a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the provision of an array of benefits for members of SAUDIA’s ALFURSAN loyalty program. With a fleet of around 25,000 cars, Lumi is one of the Kingdom’s top-performing rental companies with a commitment to embracing digitisation and innovative technology for a highly personalised and intuitive service. SAUDIA has recently announced several new partnerships to further bolster its ALFURSAN loyalty program to provide a range of unprecedented benefits to members. This included the opportunity to redeem more miles through the introduction of the “Reward” and “Reward Plus” categories. Essam Akhonbay, VP Marketing & Product Management at SAUDIA, commented: “Our partnership with Lumi is further testament to our dedication to working with best-in-class partners to deliver a truly seamless traveller experience. The collaboration also forms a vital part of the complete transformation of the ALFURSAN loyalty program and we hope that this latest MoU will further support our aim to grant more exclusive benefits than ever before whilst rewarding our highly valued guests for their continued loyalty.” Azfar Shakeel, Chief Executive officer of Lumi, commented: “We are delighted to announce this MoU with SAUDIA, and we are excited to be offering the opportunity for our car rental customers to participate in and benefit from the ALFURSAN loyalty program. This is another important step in our ambitious growth journey, as we build our network of blue-chip partners across the Kingdom – spurring the expansion of our business and widening the opportunity set for our customers. We look forward to working closely with the SAUDIA team on what we are sure will be a long and fruitful collaboration.”

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) signed two Memorandums of Cooperation (MoC) with Tourism Malaysia, at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023. The MoC will provide a framework in which Tourism Malaysia will be able to collaborate with SAUDIA through its travel service provider “SAUDIA Holidays” and ultimately drive more tourism to the destination. The mutually beneficial agreement will help further advance SAUDIA’s objectives to strengthen its international presence and bring the world to Saudi Arabia, offering convenient connections and flexibility, increasing tourism to and from the Kingdom and generating greater awareness about Malaysia and its destinations to Saudi residents. This will include a one-year promotion on new products and destinations in Malaysia while Tourism Malaysia will provide 24/7 support and assistance for bookings through “SAUDIA Holidays”. Mrs. Manal Alshehri said: “It was important for us to be able to give more travel opportunities to Saudi nationals and residents to discover new destinations easily, and it is now possible thanks to Tourism Malaysia. We look forward to starting a fruitful with two eminent entities in the tourism industry.” Honourable Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia said: “This collaboration aims to boost the tourism industry and strengthen economic ties between Malaysia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We hope that SAUDIA continues to work together with Tourism Malaysia to promote Malaysia as a fascinating holiday destination, highlighting unique cities such as Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.” The MoC was signed between SAUDIA and Tourism Malaysia which took place at the airline’s stand at ATM, in the presence of Mrs. Manal Alshehri, VP Passenger Sales at SAUDIA and Dato’ Dr. Ammar Abd. Ghapar, Director General Tourism Malaysia.

SAUDIA released its operational performance report for the first quarter of 2023, which revealed a 35% increase in the number of guests carried across its flight network compared to the same period last year. The airline transported 7 million guests, including 3.2 million domestic guests and 3.8 million international guests, which represents a significant 94% increase, and reaffirms SAUDIA’s objective to connect the world with Saudi Arabia. During Q1 2023, SAUDIA’s aircraft flew over 42,000 flights across four continents, representing a 5% increase, which accumulated to over 127,500 flight hours, and a 26% increase. Internationally, the airline operated over 18,300 flights with an increase of 40% and recorded 87,300 flight hours with an increase of 55.2%. Additionally, 23,600 domestic flights were operated by SAUDIA across a total of 40,100 flying hours. Captain Ibrahim Koshy, the CEO of SAUDIA, said: “The growth achieved during Q1 of 2023 comes in line with SAUDIA’s operational plan to increase its flights and seating capacity, considering the operational efficiency and maintaining on-time performance. This was evident in the services provided that enhanced the travel experience and earned the loyalty of more guests from all over the world. The most prominent of which was the “Your Ticket Your Visa” service, providing guests with easier access to the Kingdom through a digital integration system that links transit visas with flight tickets. “SAUDIA’s flight network and quality services have been contributing to the Kingdom’s comprehensive development in all fields, including transporting visitors, tourists, and organizers to attend various events, exhibitions, and conferences held in the Kingdom. SAUDIA has designed an ambitious plan to transport more pilgrims as part of the Pilgrim Experience Program and connect the world with …

SAUDIA announced that it will significantly increase the number of flights to major global destinations. This comes as part of its objectives to bring the world to the Kingdom and strengthen the airlines’ international presence. The expansion offers convenient connections and more flexibilities for SAUDIA’s guests. SAUDIA CEO, Captain Ibrahim Koshy commented on the international network expansion: “We are pleased to offer our guests more flights to Europe’s most important cities. The increase in frequency also means greater connectivity to our growing network and the opportunity to welcome more visitors to the Kingdom.” By mid-year, SAUDIA will be operating 56 weekly services internationally to and from 14 destinations. The uplift in capacity provides SAUDIA guests with even more access globally, as well as bolstering trade and business opportunities.   Bangkok – From 26 March, SAUDIA will be introducing 3 additional flights to Bangkok from Jeddah. As a result, SAUDIA will be serving Bangkok a total of 10 flights a week with daily services from Jeddah and 3 flights per week from Riyadh. Seoul – From 26 March, SAUDIA will be introducing non-stop flights to Seoul from both Jeddah and Riyadh. As a result, SAUDIA will be connecting Seoul with 4 flights a week with 2 non-stop flights a week from Jeddah and 2 non-stop flights a week from Riyadh. Guangzhou – From 26 March, SAUDIA will be serving Guangzhou from Jeddah three times a week. The company will also introduce two new weekly flights from Riyadh. Kuala Lumpur – From 26 March, SAUDIA will be adding three services a week between Riyadh and Kuala Lumpur. The extra services will boost SAUDIA’s presence at Kuala Lumpur to 24 flights per week, …