Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) is the first airline in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is headquartered in Jeddah, and is the national carrier of the Kingdom.
Saudia offers several programs and memberships, including Alfursan, for frequent flyers.
Saudia was founded in the 1940s, specifically when an American airliner was presented to Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud by the American president, Roosevelt, after their historic meeting in 1945. The establishment of the Saudi Arabian Airlines was then announced in 1946.
The first flight in the Kingdom dates back to 1945. It transported King Abdulaziz from Afif to Al-Hawiyah, Taif for the first time. Flights between Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran were then initiated, and the first international flight took off from the Kingdom to Palestine.
During the first three years following the first domestic flight, Saudia owned more than ten aircraft, including DC-3s and DC-4s, as well as Bristol 170s, to support international transportation. The number of aircraft increased until the Saudi Arabian Airlines fleet consisted of ninety-three Airbus and fifty-one Boeing aircraft in 2021. Saudia airliners are embossed with the Kingdom's flag alongside the boarding door. The Saudia logo consists of two crossed swords with a golden palm tree, which is the national symbol of power and development.
Saudia joins SkyTeam international alliance
In 2012, Saudia officially joined the SkyTeam international alliance, the world's second-largest alliance following Star Alliance, thus becoming the sixteenth member among global airlines in the alliance and the first in the Middle East.
Saudia has many specialized companies, including Saudia Private Aviation (SPA), Saudia Cargo, Saudi Airlines Real Estate Development (SARED), Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI), etc. In 2016, Saudia announced the establishment of 'flyadeal', a low-cost airline for affordable air travel.
Law of Saudi Arabian Airlines Public Corporation
In 1965, King Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a Royal Decree approving the Law of Saudi Arabian Airlines Public Corporation. It stipulated that the airline shall be accountable for all air, commercial, and civil transport activities inside and outside the Kingdom. Saudia is an independent public institution with a legal personality and is organizationally linked to the Prime Minister.
With the development of the aviation sector, Saudi Airlines Catering was established in 1981 to support services and manage air sales inside aircraft cabins. This contributed to the diversity of service classes aboard Saudia aircraft.
Number of flights and passengers aboard Saudia's aircraft
Saudia operates about 144 aircraft on its long-distance network and serves millions of travelers yearly, including pilgrims flying to the Kingdom. In 2019, the number of flights through Saudia during the Hajj and Umrah season exceeded seventy-seven thousand, with an average of about 16.8 million seats.
In 2020, Saudia's flight passenger traffic decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Saudia received a 'Diamond Class' rating, which is awarded to the safest airlines in the world in terms of health. This is the highest rating granted by the APEX Official Airline Ratings, which measures the performance of airlines around the world and verifies their compliance with safety and quality standards.
Entertainment systems in Saudia cabins include five thousand hours of entertainment content supported by audio and written descriptions.
Saudia has recently received the World's Most Advanced Airline award for 2021 by Skytrax Awards, which evaluates the performance and services of airlines and airports.
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