Just a few days ago I wrote an article regarding the new order that PIF and Saudia placed with Boeing for up to 49 new 787s. Following up on that article I thought it might be a good idea to take a closer look at what the Saudia fleet (Saudi Arabian Airlines) looks like in 2023.
The Saudia Fleet in 2023
What makes Saudia interesting is mainly its plans for the future more than what it represents right now. The state owned investment fund PIF has huge plans for both the country and its flag carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines.
The plans of making Saudi Arabia a world wide tourist destination and an aviation hub, comparable to Doha and Dubai, inevitably will succede or fail depending on the performance of Saudia. If the airline has success also the government plans will have.
Clearly all figures regarding the Saudia fleet are prior to receiving its new ordered Boeing 787s. At the moment the Saudia fleet features planes manufactured by both Boeing and Airbus. All of the Saudia short range planes are Airbus while its long range fleet is mixed between the two manufacturers.
The Saudia Short Range Fleet
The Saudia short range fleet only features Airbus manufactured planes. These planes are used to connect the airline’s hub to local destinations in the middle east and in the Indian subcontinent. These will also fly to lower demand European and African destinations. More specifically the Saudia short range fleet is comprised of:
- 14 Airbus A321-200
- 41 Airbus A320-200
The Saudia Long Range Fleet
On the other hand the long range fleet features both Boeing and Airbus planes. That being said it must be noted that the Saudia long range fleet is very much Boeing-centric. At the moment the airline operates:
- 31 Airbus A330-300
- 35 Boeing 777-300
- 5 Boeing 787-10
- 13 Boeing 787-9
Keep in mind that this trend will only be strengthened with Saudia receiving its latest order of Boeing 787 in the coming years.
A Further Evolving Fleet?
Its very likely that we’ll see more news coming regarding Saudia’s fleet as the plans for the airline and the country are very ambitious. The country aims to become a global tourist destination and to reach this goal its airline will also need to become a global aviation powerhouse.
Due to this I wouldn’t be surprised to see more news arrive from Saudia in coming months regarding further orders possibly even with Airbus.
