Saudi airline to buy 63 planes from Airbus and Boeing

Saudi Arabian Airlines will purchase new aircraft as it looks to modernise it fleet as strong population growth and rising incomes spur passenger demand.

A Saudi Arabian Airlines plane at Manila's international airport, Philippines. The carrier plans to buy scores of new aircraft as it modernises its fleet. Francis R Malasig / EPA

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) will acquire 63 aircraft as part of a fleet modernisation programme, a top executive was quoted as saying at the weekend by the state news agency SPA.

The airline will acquire 15 Boeing B777-300ER, 13 Boeing B787 Dreamliners and 35 Airbus A320 and A321-neo, said the director general Saleh bin Nasser Al Jasser.

Saudi Arabia’s air travel industry is benefiting from strong population growth and rising incomes since the country announced in 2012 that it would liberalise its domestic aviation market.

At present the state-owned carrier’s only domestic competitor is budget carrier flynas.

In 2015 Saudia said it would raise the number of its planes to 200 from 119 and add new international and domestic routes.

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