Saudi Arabian Airlines will play an important role during this Haj season by transporting nearly one million pilgrims from different parts of the world, its Director General Khaled Al-Molhem said yesterday.
Speaking at a meeting of Saudia’s board of directors, Al-Molhem said the national flag carrier had transported a record 16 million passengers during the last eight months, two million more than the figure of 2011.
Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and chairman of Saudia, presided over the meeting, and urged board members to give their ideas and proposals to strengthen the airline and improve its services to passengers.
Al-Molhem said the privatization of Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries would be completed next year. “Efforts are underway to transform Prince Sultan Aviation Academy into a world-class training center,” he said while explaining Saudia’s privatization program.
He said Saudia has received 85 new aircraft from Airbus and Boeing in a record time, adding that the new planes have joined its domestic and international fleet network.
Al-Molhem highlighted Saudia’s performance during the last Umrah season. “During this Haj season, we’ll carry 981,631 pilgrims from 85 international and 27 domestic stations,” he added.
The board meeting discussed the airline’s development plan for the next five years, which has taken into consideration the increase in operations as a result of fast growing domestic and international passengers.
The board members later visited Saudia’s catering, cargo, maintenance and air operations sectors where they were briefed on efforts to improve the airline’s services and plans to build a cargo village as well as seven hangars for aircraft maintenance.
