JEDDAH — Kanoo Travel has become the new general sales agent (GSA) for Singapore Airlines (SIA) in the Western Province.
With this Kanoo Travel, described as the largest travel company in the Middle East, is now the GSA for the airline Kingdomwide.
The airline, which operates weekly three flights from Jeddah, has offline offices in Riyadh and Dammam.
Singapore Ambassador Ang Chay Chuan, Kanoo Travel Chairman Mubarak Kanoo, and Tan Chik Quee, SIA’s senior vice president, participated in the formal ribbon and cake cutting ceremony to commemorate the occasion, which also marked the airline’s new location at Al Mohamadiah Plaza on Madinah Road. “The Middle East region has great potential and with the appointment of Kanoo Travel as our GSA we look forward to tapping its industry knowledge and network within the Kingdom and the rest of the region,” Quee said.
“Being a pioneer in the Saudi and Middle East travel trade, and with a vast network of offices and clients, we’re confident that we’ll be able to make a significant contribution toward the airline’s further growth in the Kingdom and beyond,” Mubarak Kanoo said.
The airline recently became the first in the world to offer live TV in-flight. This exciting infotainment option follows the recent launch of Connexion by Boeing, an in-flight wireless broadband service that provides passengers in all classes with real-time, high-speed and secure Internet connectivity. “Connexion by Boeing and live TV are currently available on services between Singapore and London and will later be introduced to selected long haul flights,” Sher M. Khan, the airline’s Jeddah-based general manager for the Middle East, said. The airline has won numerous awards and accolades, including the best Asian carrier serving the Middle East for the fourth consecutive year in the 2005 Business Traveler Middle East Awards.
Also recently, the airline was the highest-ranking Asian company, outside Japan, in the Fortune Magazine’s 2005 listing.
With an average age of five years and eight months, the airline operates one of the industry’s youngest and most modern fleets. “This reputation will be enhanced further when the airline becomes the first to fly the A380 in 2006,” Khan said, adding that with weekly three services from Jeddah, passengers have access to the airline’s extensive network of 58 destinations in 31 countries.
The airline is offering special promotions and value additions to passengers in the Kingdom for the period up to October-end to commemorate its new GSA appointment.
Attar Travel was the airline’s GSA before.
The SIA began operating its services to Dhahran in 1979. It thus became the first Southeast Asian carrier to operate its services to the Kingdom. In 1997, the airline made Dhahran an offline station and instead introduced its services to Jeddah. “We’ve had an excellent summer season, especially from passengers heading Malaysia and Indonesia,” Khan said, adding that the airline had attractive offers especially for students going to Australia and New Zealand,” he added.