Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser took charge on Sunday as the new director-general of Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) and vowed that he would work to strengthen the national flag carrier and further improve its customer services.

“We will encourage a spirit of initiative and innovation to improve the level of performance and customer services. We will give top priority to customers in order to maximize satisfaction,” Al-Jasser told senior Saudia officials and employees.

Speaking at an Eid Al-Fitr reception at the airline’s headquarters here, he said he would give priority to achieve 12 major objectives, including modernization of its fleet and operation of more flights to domestic and international destinations.

Al-Jasser, who has over 30 years of experience in business management and maritime, land and air transport fields, said he would also work for accelerating privatization of the core airline company and its various subsidiaries.

He highlighted the tremendous progress achieved by Saudia over the past 70 years, adding that the airline links the Kingdom’s different regions with other parts of the world. He also noted the Saudi leadership’s generous support for the organization.

“I have been associated with Saudia as a citizen since my childhood and later, as a member of its board of directors. We have to work together to take our airline to new heights of progress making use of its potentials and opportunities,” Al-Jasser told his staff members.

“We have to set out strategies and plans to confront dangers and challenges,” he said while spelling out his priorities that included adopting professional standards in the airline industry.

Al-Jasser was named director general by the airline’s board of directors, chaired by Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and chairman of Saudia’s board. He replaces Khaled Al-Molhem, who served the organization for eight years.

Al-Jasser holds a master’s degree in business management from King Saud University and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from King Abdulaziz University. He has attended advanced management training courses at Harvard University, INSEAD in France and Oxford in Britain, and Chase Manhattan Bank’s advanced credit training program.

Al-Jasser, who has served as the CEO of the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia since November 2010 and executive director general of the Abdullatif Company from 2003 to 2010, stressed the need to highlight Saudia’s role in boosting the Kingdom’s economic and social development.

“We should set out plans to increase and diversify revenues, rationalize expenditures and boost operational efficiency. We should strengthen the airline’s competitive position and all affiliated companies should work as a single team,” the new Saudia chief said.