JEDDAH, 4 January 2006 — Saudi Arabian Airlines celebrated yesterday the launch of the first two aircraft of its new Embraer fleet. The company has purchased fifteen Brazilian Embraer 170 aircraft in a $400-million self-financed deal for the first time in the history of the airline.
Saudi Arabian Airlines celebrated the event under the auspice of the airline’s chairman, Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation.
“Saudi Arabian Airlines is the first airline in the Middle East to purchase this type of aircraft,” said Khaled Ben-Bakr, the director-general of Saudi Arabian Airlines.
The importance of the Embraer deal is based on the new fleet’s technological and economic benefits.
Ben-Bakr said that the benefits of the Embraer deal to the airline include technology transfer through the preparation and training of Saudi technicians on the maintenance of the Brazilian aircraft. Saudi Arabian Airlines is the first airline in the Middle East to have a specialized maintenance center for Embraer aircraft.
The deal will also enhance the training capabilities of Prince Sultan Aviation Academy by allowing Saudi pilots to train on flight simulators that the Saudi airline will receive from Embraer.
The economic benefits of Embraer aircraft are more than the technological benefits that the airline expects out of the deal. First, the cabin flexibility of Embraer 170 aircraft will allow the reconfiguration of cabin seats into a single-class cabin. Second, the design of Embraer aircraft allow them to spend less time on the ground, thus reducing operational costs and increasing their actual flight time. Third, the between-flights preparation time of the aircraft is 14 minutes, which adds to the reduction of their ground time. Fourth, the fuel consumption of Embraer aircraft gives them the lowest per-seat cost for each mile traveled.
The new Embraer 170 is a technically advanced aircraft with a maximum range of 3,700 kilometers. The aircraft is equipped with General Electric engines. The Saudi Arabian Airlines configuration for this type of aircraft includes 66 seats, including six executive-class seats.
The airline received the first two aircraft in December and another two will be delivered in January followed by the delivery of one aircraft every month until all 15 are delivered. The Embraer deal reflects the growth in Saudi Arabian Airlines’ revenues and profits in recent years, which has allowed the airline to engage in the $400 million deal.
Prince Sultan received an award from International Air Transport Association (IATA) regional Vice President for Middle East and North Africa Dr. Majdi Sabri on the airline’s level of operational and safety.