By Rafiq Vayani
JEDDAH: SAUDIA, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, announced the expansion of its fleet with the addition of new aircraft type, Airbus A321neo under the slogan “A neo-way of flying.” This feeds into SAUDIA’s expansion plans as the airline aims to add 20 more A321neo aircrafts to its fleet by 2026.
The A321neo aircraft is a narrow-body airliner part of the A320 family, the world’s most popular single-aisle aircraft family and airlines’ preferred choice with airlines around the world due to its reputation for high performance and superior comfort. The aircraft offers new levels of performance, seating 180 to 220 passengers in a typical two-class interior layout.
The main reason behind the purchase of the aircraft is its ability to run on much less fuel. The A320 family of aircraft have saved 20 million tons of Co2 since the A320neo came into service globally in 2016. By incorporating Sharklets, new fuel-efficient engines and latest cabin innovations, the A320neo has also seen a 20 per cent decrease in fuel burning and Co2 emissions, a 50 per cent reduction in noise footprint, a 5 per cent lower airframe maintenance costs and a 14 per cent lower cash operating costs per seat versus previous generation aircraft.
Captain Ibrahim Koshy SAUDIA CEO said: “We are excited to expand our fleet with the new Airbus A321neo aircraft. Our priority is to offer the best guest experience possible and to bring the world to Saudi Arabia, and we will continue to purchase state-of-the-art aircraft from the world’s top manufacturers to deliver on that promise.”
Koshy added: “We commend Airbus for continuously looking to improve the performance of their aircraft, which goes in line with SAUDIA’s ambition to provide the best guests experience possible while contributing to make aviation more sustainable.’”
This partnership highlights the trust and historic relationship between SAUDIA and Airbus. It also feeds into the Saudi Aviation Strategy objectives which aims to turn Saudi Arabia into a leader in the global industry, by enhancing the customer experience, improve safety, and promote environmental sustainability. The strategy aligns with SAUDIA’s expansion goals as the airline works towards bringing around 330 million visitors to the Kingdom by 2030. By working with Airbus and expanding its fleet, SAUDIA is working towards its goals of becoming an industry-leading airline. expansion of SAUDIA’s fleet will also help create new job opportunities for pilots, cabin crew, and other operational positions.
