Latest news with #ChristianScherer
Zawya
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Zawya
Saudia Group signs deal with Airbus for Flyadeal's first wide-body aircraft
TOULOUSE — Saudia Group signed a deal with Airbus to order the first wide-body aircraft for flyadeal as it expands its operational capabilities. The agreement includes up to 20 A330neo aircraft, with 10 firm orders allocated to flyadeal — its first venture into the wide-body segment. Renowned for its fuel efficiency, extended range, and operational versatility, the A330neo supports Saudia Group's strategy to broaden its network and introduce new international destinations. Aircraft deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027 and conclude in 2029. The signing ceremony took place at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, in the presence of Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of Saudia Group, and Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus' Commercial Aircraft business. The agreement was formally signed by Saleh Eid, Vice President of Fleet Management at Saudia Group, and Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President of Sales for Commercial Aircraft at Airbus. 'This deal marks a pivotal milestone in our ambitious strategy to modernize and expand our fleet,' said Engr. Al-Omar. 'It builds on last year's historic agreement with Airbus for 105 aircraft and aligns with our national strategy. Our goal is to connect 250 destinations and support the travel of more than 330 million travelers and 150 million tourists by 2030.' He added that the order would enhance operational efficiency, modernize the fleet, and improve aircraft maintenance standards. Christian Scherer described the A330neo as a 'technological marvel' and emphasized its importance in supporting Saudia Group's long-haul ambitions. 'The A330neo's proven versatility, new-generation efficiency, and excellent passenger experience will perfectly support Saudia Group's strategic growth and solidify their position as a global aviation leader,' he said. The agreement reflects a deep-rooted relationship between Saudi Arabia and France, with the Saudia-Airbus partnership dating back to 1984, when the first A300-600 was delivered. Today's expanded collaboration underscores shared goals in innovation and growth, including the development of a certified Airbus Manufacturing and Maintenance Center in Jeddah's MRO Village, positioning the Kingdom as a regional aviation hub. Beyond fleet expansion, the partnership is creating high-value job opportunities in France and across Europe, while contributing to global aviation innovation. Saudia Group currently operates a fleet of 194 aircraft across commercial, cargo, and logistics operations. © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Saudi Gazette
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Saudi Gazette
Saudia Group signs deal with Airbus for flyadeal's first wide-body aircraft
Saudi Gazette report TOULOUSE — Saudia Group signed a deal with Airbus to order the first wide-body aircraft for flyadeal as it expands its operational capabilities. The agreement includes up to 20 A330neo aircraft, with 10 firm orders allocated to flyadeal — its first venture into the wide-body segment. Renowned for its fuel efficiency, extended range, and operational versatility, the A330neo supports Saudia Group's strategy to broaden its network and introduce new international destinations. Aircraft deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027 and conclude in 2029. The signing ceremony took place at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, in the presence of Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of Saudia Group, and Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus' Commercial Aircraft business. The agreement was formally signed by Saleh Eid, Vice President of Fleet Management at Saudia Group, and Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President of Sales for Commercial Aircraft at Airbus. 'This deal marks a pivotal milestone in our ambitious strategy to modernize and expand our fleet,' said Engr. Al-Omar. 'It builds on last year's historic agreement with Airbus for 105 aircraft and aligns with our national strategy. Our goal is to connect 250 destinations and support the travel of more than 330 million travelers and 150 million tourists by 2030.' He added that the order would enhance operational efficiency, modernize the fleet, and improve aircraft maintenance standards. Christian Scherer described the A330neo as a 'technological marvel' and emphasized its importance in supporting Saudia Group's long-haul ambitions. 'The A330neo's proven versatility, new-generation efficiency, and excellent passenger experience will perfectly support Saudia Group's strategic growth and solidify their position as a global aviation leader,' he said. The agreement reflects a deep-rooted relationship between Saudi Arabia and France, with the Saudia-Airbus partnership dating back to 1984, when the first A300-600 was delivered. Today's expanded collaboration underscores shared goals in innovation and growth, including the development of a certified Airbus Manufacturing and Maintenance Center in Jeddah's MRO Village, positioning the Kingdom as a regional aviation hub. Beyond fleet expansion, the partnership is creating high-value job opportunities in France and across Europe, while contributing to global aviation innovation. Saudia Group currently operates a fleet of 194 aircraft across commercial, cargo, and logistics operations.
Trade Arabia
24-04-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Saudia Group signs with Airbus for 20 aircraft
Saudia Group has announced a new aircraft deal with Airbus to enhance its fleet by adding up to 20 new wide-body A330neo aircraft, 10 of which are firm orders for flyadeal, the group's low-cost carrier, according to SPA. The signing ceremony was held at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, attended by Saudia Group Director General Ibrahim Al-Omar and Airbus Commercial Aircraft business CEO Christian Scherer. The deal was signed by Saudia Group Vice President of Fleet Management Saleh Eid and Airbus Executive Vice President of Sales of Commercial Aircraft Benoît de Saint-Exupéry. Al-Omar stated: 'Today's deal marks a pivotal milestone in our ambitious strategy to modernise and expand our fleet. It builds on last year's historic deal with Airbus for 105 aircraft. This step aligns with our national strategies under Saudi Vision 2030, which aim to connect 250 destinations and facilitate the travel of over 330 million travelers and 150 million tourists by 2030.' He added: 'This deal supports Saudia Group's plans to grow and improve its operations. It adds to the modernisation of our fleet, improves aircraft maintenance, and makes our overall operations more efficient.' According to the release, Saudia Group currently operates a fleet of 194 aircraft, serving commercial aviation, cargo operations, and logistics services. "The group is set for significant expansion, with 191 new aircraft scheduled for delivery in the coming years," it added.
Zawya
24-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Flyadeal announces order for 10 Airbus A330neos
Toulouse, FRANCE – flyadeal, the Saudia Group's fast growing low-cost airline, today entered a new phase of its growth strategy with an order for 10 Airbus A330neo wide-body aircraft. With a three-year delivery schedule beginning in 2027, the new fleet of twin-aisle next generation aircraft will support flyadeal's plans to operate further into Europe, Africa, Asia and Indian subcontinent, as well on high-demand services and to slot-constrained airports. Currently only an A320 narrowbody operator, flyadeal will also deploy its new A330-900 aircraft variant on dedicated Hajj and Umrah pilgrim flights. The order was announced today by flyadeal parent company Saudia Group and Airbus during a high-profile ceremony held at the European aircraft manufacturer's home city of Toulouse in southern France. Presided by His Excellency Eng. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Saudia Group Director General, and Christian Scherer, Airbus CEO Commercial Aircraft, the event was attended by a host of dignitaries from France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Steven Greenway, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, said: 'Together with Saudia Group, today marks yet another moment of pride for flyadeal embarking on a new chapter in our evolving story as Saudi Arabia's youngest, ambitious and most dynamic low-cost airline that has developed into the Middle East's fastest growing airline. 'With wide-body experience already under our belt through wet-leased aircraft for pilgrim and summer season flying for the third year running, we are excited about the prospect of operating our very own. The A330neos' operational capability of around 10 hours flying range, fuel efficiency, cockpit commonality with our A320s and significant low-cost dynamics made this the ideal aircraft type to meet our mission requirements that include serving slot-constrained airports and high demand routes.' The A330neos will have a capacity of around 400 seats in a two-class configuration that will include a premium cabin. They will contribute to phenomenal national growth targets, enabling flyadeal to capture opportunities and tap into new markets to attract more visitors to the Kingdom. Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus Executive Vice President Commercial Sales, said: 'Saudia Group's A330neo order for flyadeal marks a key step in advancing the Kingdom's aviation ambition to unlock long-haul markets and attract new customers. The A330neo's proven versatility, new generation efficiency, and excellent passenger experience will perfectly support Saudia Group's strategic growth and solidify their position as a global aviation leader. We look forward to seeing the versatile champion fly in flyadeal colours.' flyadeal currently operates an all-Economy Class configured A320 family aircraft with a 38-strong fleet comprising 27 A320neos and 11 A320ceos that serve around 30 seasonal and year-round destinations. From bases in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, the airline flies to towns and cities across Saudi Arabia, and destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and South Asia. By 2030, flyadeal plans to triple its fleet size to over 100 aircraft and also increase network strength three-fold to more than 100 destinations ensuring the airline plays a key role in the national aviation growth strategy as outlined in the Kingdom's Vision 2030 blueprint. The ambitious objectives of Vision 2030 aim to increase the number of annual airline passengers to 300 million, including 150 million inbound tourists, and expand connectivity to over 250 destinations worldwide. About flyadeal On 23 September 2017, National Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, flyadeal began operations with its historic maiden flight from Jeddah to Riyadh. A pioneer and innovator, flyadeal was the first regional low-cost airline to be launched only across digital distribution channels. Being the sister airline of full-service national carrier Saudia both under the umbrella ownership of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation (Saudia Group) flyadeal was created for the price-conscious and tech-savvy consumer in mind in a market where 80 per cent of the Saudi population is aged less than 40 years and has at least two mobile phones. flyadeal aims to stimulate travel, tourism and trade with its affordable, value for money everyday fares catering to leisure, religious, family and business travellers. Simplicity is key with an all-Economy Class cabin across flyadeal's narrowbody fleet. With the Kingdom undergoing dramatic transformation through its Vision 2030 economic diversification drive, aviation and tourism are among the many sectors earmarked for dynamic growth. Today, flyadeal is one of the youngest and fastest growing low-cost airlines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Middle East, recognised for excellence in on-time performance that is consistently above the global industry average. The airline has flown over 35 million passengers since its inaugural service. In May 2024, flyadeal placed its biggest ever order – a 51 aircraft deal comprising 12 A320neos and 39 larger A321neos – with a delivery schedule beginning in 2026. By 2030, flyadeal plans to operate hundreds of routes that will see its fleet and network triple in number to over 100 aircraft and destinations, respectively. flyadeal's aggressive expansion drive makes the rapidly growing airline one of the country's most desirable companies to work for.
Asharq Al-Awsat
23-04-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudia Group Signs Deal with Airbus to Acquire up to 20 Wide-Body Aircraft
Saudia Group announced in a press release on Wednesday a new aircraft deal with Airbus to enhance its fleet by adding up to 20 new wide-body A330neo aircraft, 10 of which are firm orders for flyadeal, the group's low-cost carrier. The signing ceremony was held at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, attended by Saudia Group Director General Ibrahim Al-Omar and Airbus Commercial Aircraft business CEO Christian Scherer. The deal was signed by Saudia Group Vice President of Fleet Management Saleh Eid and Airbus Executive Vice President of Sales of Commercial Aircraft Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, SPA reported. Al-Omar stated: 'Today's deal marks a pivotal milestone in our ambitious strategy to modernize and expand our fleet. It builds on last year's historic deal with Airbus for 105 aircraft. This step aligns with our national strategies under Saudi Vision 2030, which aim to connect 250 destinations and facilitate the travel of over 330 million travelers and 150 million tourists by 2030.' He added: 'This deal supports Saudia Group's plans to grow and improve its operations. It adds to the modernization of our fleet, improves aircraft maintenance, and makes our overall operations more efficient.' According to the release, Saudia Group currently operates a fleet of 194 aircraft, serving commercial aviation, cargo operations, and logistics services. "The group is set for significant expansion, with 191 new aircraft scheduled for delivery in the coming years," it added.
