SAUDIA launched its first flights from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport in Nice, France.
This marks SAUDIA’s (Saudi Arabian Airlines’) second destination in France as part of its phased implementation strategy aimed at expanding its international network. It is also the newest Summer seasonal destination SAUDIA introduced this year.
The inaugural SAUDIA flight, SV129, departed from King Khalid International Airport to the city of Nice, in the presence of Mr. Mohammad Baakdah, the Vice President of Ground Operations at SAUDIA, and Mr. Mohammed Alshammari, the Chief Operations Officer at Riyadh Airports Company, along with several operations and management officials. To commemorate the flight’s launch, a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the airport at AlFursan International Lounge.
Mr. Baakdah emphasized the significance of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries through the introduction of SAUDIA’s flights to Nice Airport and connecting the existing flights to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.
This was part of the plan announced at the beginning of this year to expand the airline’s existing flight network.
As part of the plan, SAUDIA aims to increase the number of destinations and expand the aircraft fleet to achieve operational goals. Additionally, the SAUDIA airline has been focusing on developing its digital service ecosystem to enhance the guest experience.
SAUDIA started out in 1945 with a single twin-engine DC-3 (Dakota) HZ-AAX given to King Abdul Aziz as a gift by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This was followed months later with the purchase of 2 more DC-3s, and these formed the nucleus of what a few years later was to become one of the world’s largest airlines. Today, SAUDIA has 142 aircraft, including the latest and most advanced wide-bodied jets presently available: B787-9, B777-268L, B777-300ER, Airbus A320-200, Airbus A321, and Airbus A330-300.
