Saudi Arabian Airlines
102414
224363871
2008-07-08T15:02:25Z
212.107.119.69
/* Fleet */
{{Infobox Airline
|airline = الخطوط الجوية العربية السعودية<br>Saudi Arabian Airlines
|logo = SaudiArabianAirlinesLogoSmall.png
|logo_size = 200
|fleet_size = 117 (+ 72 Orders)
|destinations = 76
|IATA = SV
|ICAO = SVA
|callsign = SAUDIA
|parent = N/A ([[government-owned corporation|owned]] by the [[Saudi Arabia|Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]])
|company_slogan =
|founded = [[1945]]
|headquarters = [[Jeddah]], [[Saudi Arabia]]
|key_people = [[Prince Sultan|HRH Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz]] ([[CEO]]), [[Khalid Abdullah Almolhem]] ([[Director General]])
|hubs = [[Jeddah]]-[[King Abdulaziz International Airport]]<br>[[Riyadh]]-[[King Khalid International Airport]]<br>[[Dammam]]-[[King Fahd International Airport]]
|secondary_hubs =
|focus_cities =
|frequent_flyer = Alfursan
|lounge =
|alliance =
|website = http://www.saudiairlines.com/
}}
[[Image:Juanda Airport Apron.jpg|thumb|At [[Juanda International Airport]], [[Surabaya]], [[Saudi Airlines]] Boeing 747 refueling and reloading particularly to serve [[Indonesia]]n [[Hajj]] pilgrims to [[Mecca]].]]
'''Saudi Arabian Airlines''' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: الخطوط الجوية العربية السعودية) is the [[flag carrier|national]] [[airline]] of [[Saudi Arabia]], based in [[Jeddah]]. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 70 destinations in the [[Middle East]], Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Domestic and international charter flights are operated, mostly during [[Ramadan]] and the [[Hajj]] season. The airline's main operational base is at Jeddah-King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED). Other major hubs are Riyadh-King Khalid International Airport (RUH), and Dammam-King Fahd International Airport (DMM). The new Dammam airport was opened for commercial use on [[28 November]] [[1999]]. Dhahran International Airport in use until then, has reverted back to being used as a military base. Saudi Arabian Airlines is a member of the [[Arab Air Carriers Organization]].
The airline was the largest carrier in the region, however due to the emergence of airports and airline's in the region the airline became the second largest in [[2006]], behind [[Emirates Airline]].
==History==
When US President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] presented a [[Douglas DC-3]] as a gift to [[King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud]] in 1945, the event marked the Kingdom's gradual development of civil aviation. The nation' flag carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines was founded in September 1946 as a fully owned government agency under the control of the Ministry of Defense, with [[TWA]] running the airline under a management contract.
From the beginning, [[Jeddah]]-Kandara airport - very near the town centre - served as the flag carrier's main base. Among the airline's early operations was a special flight from [[Lydda]] in [[Palestine]], a [[British Mandate of Palestine|British Mandate]] at that time, to carry Hajj pilgrims to Jeddah. The airline used five DC-3 aircraft to launch scheduled operations on the Jeddah-Riyadh-Hofuf-Dhahran route in March 1947, followed by its first international service between Jeddah and Cairo also in that same month. Service to Damascus and Beirut followed in early 1948.
In [[1949]], the first of five [[Bristol 170]]s was received. These aircraft offered the airline the flexibility of carrying both passengers and cargo.
[[Image:Saudi Arabian Airlines.jpg|thumb|left|[[Boeing 777-200ER]]]]
The slow but steady growth continued during the 1950s and services were inaugurated to [[Istanbul]], [[Karachi]], [[Amman]], [[Kuwait City]], [[Asmara]], and [[Port Sudan]]. The fleet also saw a small growth during the 1950s, with five [[DC-4]]s and ten [[Convair]] 340s, the first pressurized aircraft for the airline. In 1959, the airline's first maintenance center was inaugurated in Jeddah. Also during this decade, the very important air link between Jeddah and Riyadh saw improved.
[[Image:New-jed-11.jpg|thumb|Saudi Arabian Airline's Main building in [[Jeddah]]]]
In 1962, the airline took delivery of two [[Boeing 720]]s, making history by becoming the first [[Middle East]]ern airline to fly jets. On [[19 February]], [[1963]], the airline became a registered company, with [[Faisal bin Abdul Aziz|King Faisal of Saudi Arabia]] signing the papers that declared Saudi Arabian a fully independent company. [[DC-6]]s and [[Boeing 707]]s were later bought, and the airline joined [[AACO]], the [[Arab Air Carriers Organization]]. Services were started to [[Sharjah (city)|Sharjah]], [[Tehran]], [[Khartoum]], [[Bombay]], [[Tripoli]], [[Tunis]], [[Rabat]], [[Geneva]], [[Frankfurt]], and [[London]].
In the 1970s, a new livery was introduced. The carrier's name was changed to Saudia on [[1 April]] [[1972]]. [[Boeing 737]] and [[Boeing 747]] equipment was bought, with the 737s replacing the [[Douglas DC-9]]. The first all-cargo flights between Saudi Arabia and Europe were started, and [[Lockheed L-1011]]s and [[Fairchild Hiller FH-227|Fairchild FH-27]]s were introduced. New services, including the ''Arabian Express'' 'no reservation shuttle flights' between Jeddah and Riyadh. The ''Special Flight Services'' (SFS) was set up as a special unit of Saudia, and operates special flights for the Royal family and government agencies. Service was also started to [[Rome]], [[Paris]], [[Muscat, Oman|Muscat]], [[Kano]], and [[Stockholm]]. The Pan Am / Saudia joint service between [[Dhahran]] and [[New York City]] started on [[3 February]] [[1979]].
Some services opened during the 1980s for the airline, such as ''Saudia Catering''. Flights were started to Athens, Bangkok, Dhaka, Mogadishu, Nairobi, New York City, Madrid, Singapore City, Manila, Delhi, Islamabad, Seoul, Baghdad, Amsterdam, Colombo, Nice, Lahore, Brussels, Dakar, Kuala Lumpur and Taipei. ''Horizon Class'', a [[business class]] service, was established to offer enhanced service to passengers. Cargo hubs were built at Brussels and Taipei. [[Airbus A300]]s, [[Fokker F-28]]s, and [[Cessna]] Citations were also added to the fleet, the Citations for the SFS service. To finish the decade, services were introduced in 1989 to Larnaca and Addis Ababa.
{| align=right
|[[Image:saudi.arabian.777.750pix.jpg|thumb|right|Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 777 approaching [[London Heathrow]]]]
|}
In the 1990s, services were introduced to Orlando, Chennai, Asmara, Washington, D.C., Johannesburg, Alexandria, Milan, Málaga (seasonal), and Sanaa (resumption). [[Boeing 777]]s, [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9|McDonnell Douglas MD-90s]] and [[McDonnell-Douglas MD-11]]s were introduced. New female [[flight attendant]] uniforms designed by Adnan Akbar were introduced. A new corporate identity was launched on [[16 July]] [[1996]], featuring a [[sand]] coloured [[fuselage]] with contrasting dark blue tailfin, the centre of which featured a stylised representation of the [[House of Saud]] crest. The Saudia name was dropped in the identity revamp, with Saudi Arabian Airlines name used.
On [[8 October]] [[2000]], Prince [[Sultan bin Abdul Aziz|Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud]], the Saudi Minister of Defence & Aviation, signed a contract to conduct studies for the [[privatisation]] of Saudi Arabian Airlines. In preparation for this, the airline was restructured to allow non-core units -- including Saudia catering, ground handling services and maintenance as well as the Prince Sultan Flight Academy in Jeddah -- to be transformed into commercial units and profit centres. In April 2005, the Saudi government indicated that the airline may also lose its monopoly on domestic services.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4483253.stm BBC News 28 March, 2006]</ref>
Saudi Arabian Airlines did achieve operational profits in [[2002]], which doubled in [[2003]], but the profits were primarily due to over one billion riyals on deferred income amortised annually in the income statement, courtesy of the 70 aircraft gifted to the airline by the Saudi government. In [[2004]], the airline carried over 15 million passengers and recorded a 14% rise in profits.
The airline ordered 15 [[Embraer 170]] aircraft in a deal worth $400 million in [[April 2005]]. They are to be based at Abha in the south and at Hail in the north.
==Privatization==
{{wikisource|Prince Sultan and the Air Aviation Commissions}}
Long-planned to become a [[privatized]] corporation, the selling of the Kingdom's national airline to private investors was the focus of a written reprimand by [[Osama bin Laden]] in 1995.
In 2006 Saudi Airlines began the process, dividing itself into [[Strategic Business Unit]]s(SBU); the catering unit was the first to be privatized.<ref>{{cite web | title=Saudi Air Lauches Privatization With Catering Unit | url=http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1155513143.html | accessdate=2007-09-14}}</ref> In August 2007, Saudi Arabia's [[Politics of Saudi Arabia#Central government|Council of Ministers]] approved the conversion of strategic units into companies. It is planned that ground services, technical services, [[air cargo]] and the [[Prince Sultan Aviation Academy]], as well as the catering unit, will become subsidiaries of a holding company.<ref>{{cite web| title= Saudi cabinet okays Saudi Arabian Airlines privatisation | url=http://www.domain-b.com/aero/Aug/2007/20070829_airlines.htm | accessdate=2007-09-14}}</ref>
==Destinations==
See [[Saudi Arabian Airlines destinations]]
==Fleet==
Saudi Arabian Airlines operates the following aircraft as of [[July 2008]] [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php]:<ref>[http://www.saudiairlines.com/services/fleet.jsp Fleet Detail]</ref>
<center>
{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="5" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+ '''Saudi Arabian Airlines'''
|- bgcolor=beige
!Aircraft
!Total
!Passengers <br> (First/Business/Economy)
!Routes
!Notes
|-
|[[Airbus A320|Airbus A320-200]]
|(50 on order)
|
|
|5 will be delivered<br>in 2009<br>on lease from [[ALAFCO]][http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/11/13/219502/dubai-2007-saudi-arabian-chooses-a320-in-massive-fleet.html]
|-
|[[Airbus A330|Airbus A330-300]]
|(8 on order)
|
|
|
|-
|[[Boeing 747#747-100|Boeing 747-100B]]
|4
|444 <br> (All Economy)
|''Short-medium haul''
|Leaving Fleet: 2010
|-
|[[Boeing 747#747-300|Boeing 747-300]]
|11
|393 <br> (36/38/319)
|''Short-long haul''
|2 wet leased from [[Air Atlanta]]
|-
|[[Boeing 747#747-300|Boeing 747-300M]]
|1
|393+ <br> (36+/38+/319+)
|''Short-long haul''
|leased from Blue Airways (Blue Sky) [http://ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=BAW&al_op=1]
|-
|[[Boeing 747#747-400|Boeing 747-400]]
|4
|358 <br> (36/32/290)
|''Short-long haul''
|
|-
|[[Boeing 747#747SP|Boeing 747SP]]
|2
|n/a
|''Short-long haul''
|Operated for VIP division
|-
|[[Boeing 757-200]]
|3
|200 <br> (x/x/x)
|''Short-long haul''
|1 leased from [[Atlasjet]]<br> 2 leased from [[Eagle Aviation]]
|-
|[[Boeing 777#777-200|Boeing 777-200ER]]
|23
|244 <br> (30/31/183)
|''Short-long haul''
|
|-
|[[Boeing 787]]
|(12 on order)
|
|
|
|-
|[[Embraer E-Jets|Embraer E-170 LR]]
|15
|66 <br> (6/0/60)
|''Short haul''
|
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-80 / MD-90|McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30]]
|29
|121 <br> (18/0/103)
|''Short-medium haul''
|To be phased out starting 2009
|}
</center>
<center>
{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="5" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+ '''Saudi Arabian Airlines Cargo Fleet'''
|- bgcolor=beige
!Aircraft
!Total
!Capacity
!Routes
!Notes
|-
|[[Boeing 747|Boeing 747-200F]]
|2
|238,059 lbs
|''Medium-long haul''
|1 operated by [[Air Atlanta Icelandic]]
|-
|[[Boeing 747|Boeing 747-400BCF]]
|1
|239,000 lbs
|''Medium-long haul''
|Operated by [[Air Atlanta Icelandic]]
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]]F
|5
|203,860 lbs
|''Medium-long haul''
|1 operated by [[Gemini Air Cargo]]
|}
</center>
<center>
{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="5" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+ '''Saudi Arabian Airlines Royal Flight'''
|- bgcolor=beige
!Aircraft
!Total
!Passengers
!Notes
|-
|[[Boeing 747|Boeing 747-300]]
|1
|VIP
|
|-
|[[Boeing 747|Boeing 747-400]]
|1
|VIP
|Converted from passenger fleet
|-
|[[Boeing|Boeing 747SP]]
|3
|VIP
|2 operated by passenger division
|-
|[[Boeing 757|Boeing 757-200]]
|1
|VIP
|Fully equipped flying hospital
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]]
|1
|VIP
|
|}
</center>
===Other aircraft===
{{Fact|date=November 2007}}
*6 [[Beechcraft Bonanza]] (training)
*1 [[Dassault Falcon|Dassault Falcon 900]] (government use)
*1 [[De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter|De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300]] (government use)
*4 [[Gulfstream Aerospace|Gulfstream II]] (incl. 3 government use)
*3 [[Gulfstream Aerospace|Gulfstream III]] (government use)
*6 [[Gulfstream Aerospace|Gulfstream IV]] (government use)
*2 [[Gulfstream V]] (government use)
*8 [[Piper Archer|Piper Archer II]] (training)
A number of military [[C-130]]s are painted with the Saudi colors and are flown by Royal Saudi Air Force crews to support Saudi official activities in the region and Europe.
The average age of the fleet is 12.8 years as of February 2007, with some of the current aircraft being more than 30 years old.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Saudi%20Arabian%20Airlines.htm |title=Saudi Arabian Airlines Fleet age |author=Airfleets.net}}</ref>
===New aircraft orders===
Saudi Arabian Airlines has a firm commitment for the following:
*50 [[Airbus A320-200]] (5 to be leased from [[ALAFCO]], delivery in 2009)
* 8 [[Airbus A330-300]]
*12 [[Boeing 787]]
==Codeshare agreements==
[[Image:Saudi Arbaian Airlines Boeing 747-300, HZ-AIT, SIN 3.jpg|thumb|Saudi Arabian Airlines [[Boeing 747]]-300]]
Saudi Arabian Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
*[[Air France]]
*[[Air Jamaica]]
*[[Egypt Air]]
*[[Etihad Airways]]
*[[Gulf Air]]
*[[Iran Air]]
*[[Mahan Air]]
*[[Qatar Airways]]
*[[SriLankan Airlines]]
*[[Syrian Arab Airlines]]
==Incidents and accidents==
* [[19 August]] [[1980]]: [[Saudia Flight 163]] [[Karachi]]-[[Riyadh]]-[[Jeddah]] was completely destroyed by fire at Riyadh airport with the loss of all people on board the L-1011.
* On [[23 December]] [[1980]], a tire on a Saudi Arabian L-1011 exploded, penetrating the passenger cabin. The hole sucked out two passengers and depressurized the cabin. <ref>[http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi-bin/view_details.cgi?date=12231980®=HZ-AHJ&airline=Saudi+Arabian+Airlines Accident Database: Accident Synopsis 12231980<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* [[12 November]] [[1996]]: Saudia Flight 763 collided with [[Air Kazakhstan]] Flight 1907, resulting in the [[1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision]]
* On [[8 September]] [[2005]], a Saudi Arabian Boeing 747 travelling from Colombo to Jeddah, carrying mostly Sri Lankan nationals to take up employment in the Kingdom, received a false alarm claiming that a bomb had been planted on board. The aircraft returned to Colombo and, during the evacuation, there was a passenger stampede in the wake of which one Sri Lankan woman died, 62 were injured, and 17 were hospitalized. The aircraft had taken on a load of 420 passengers in Colombo. <ref>"[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WDQ/is_2005_Sept_12/ai_n15403211 Bomb hoax triggers panic at Sri Lanka airport]," ''Asian Political News''. [[12 September]] [[2005]]</ref>
* In [[2007]], a Saudi Arabian [[Boeing 747-300]] collided with [[Garuda Indonesia]] [[Flight 238]], a [[Boeing 737-500]] during the 737's pushback. No injuries or fatalities were reported on both aircraft, and the Garuda was safe to take off
== Trivia ==
*In the middle 1990s, a [[DC-3]] that used to fly for Saudi Arabian was re-decorated in the airline's early livery and flown back to Saudi Arabia.
*The DC-3 that was delivered to Saudi Arabia's King in the 1940s is still kept, but not flown, by the airline. It sits on the runway by Saudi Arabian's terminal at Jeddah International Airport.
[[Image:Williams27800x532.jpg|thumb|A 1980 [[WilliamsF1|Williams]] [[Formula One car|F1 car]] with the ''Saudia'' logo of that time]]
*From 1978 to 1983 Saudia was the title sponsor of the [[WilliamsF1|Williams]] [[Formula One]] team, with the airline's colours appearing on the championship winning cars of [[Alan Jones (Formula 1)|Alan Jones]] (1980) and [[Keke Rosberg]] (1982).
*Saudi Arabian Airlines, with Iran Air, are the only operators of the Boeing 747-100B
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==See also==
*[[Prince Sultan Aviation Academy]]
==External links==
*[http://www.saudiairlines.com/ Saudi Airlines official website]
*[http://pr.sv.net/aw Ahlan Wasahlan inflight magazine]
*[http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_02/textonly/a01txt.html Saudi Arabian Airlines : The Jewel of the Middle East], ''[[Boeing]]''
{{IATA members|mideast}}
{{Arab Air Carriers Organization}}
[[Category:Airlines of Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:IATA members]]
[[Category:Arab Air Carriers Organization members]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1946]]
[[Category:Government-owned airlines]]
[[ar:الخطوط الجوية العربية السعودية]]
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