Since its inception in 1945 with a modest fleet of one DC-3 aircraft, today Saudi Arabian Airlines has come of age. Flourishing, despite a global climate of instability, the national carrier is making tremendous efforts to improve services and achieve progress and prosperity.
Yousef A. Attiah, Vice President Marketing & Product Management is upbeat about the present and positively enthusiastic about the future. “At the heart of everything is the passenger comfort and convenience. To this end, we have recently invested in upgrading our fleet with additional 82 new airplanes and the first new aircrafts of this upgrade have begun deployment on various sectors such as Asia, Europe, Africa, Middle East and domestic sectors. This will add flexibility to our schedule, add more nonstop services and increase flight frequency to give our passengers more choice.” The Middle Eastern aviation industry despite global aviation difficulties and stiff competition, witnessed an overall air passenger growth of 11.2 percent in 2009. Saudi Arabian Airlines is working hard to improve the overall customer experience. For instance, with the spread of the internet now a reality everywhere, the massive growth information technology has not been overlooked by the Airline. “We are improving the way we interact with customers. For instance, our web site services are now vastly upgraded with the introduction of online check-in, online ticket purchase options and online payment through the SADAD electronic payment system.
Anticipating passenger needs and addressing them in the most cost-efficient manner is vital to the Airline’s continued growth and brand enhancement which is growing rapidly in tandem with the Kingdom’s global positioning propelled by its economic liberalisation strategy. This has been reflected on the superb choice of aircrafts and the routes on which they will be deployed. The Airbus A320s, A321s, A330- 300s and the Boeing 777-300 ER and Boeing 787 have all been selected to fly to Saudia’s network of 80 domestic and international global destinations.
Most of our Boeing 777- 200 fleet underwent a massive overhaul and we introduced a state-of-the-art entertainment system offering passengers more than 500 choices of audio and video programmes as well as flatbed seats in first class cabin and comfortable seats in Business and Guest class cabin. Moreover passengers travelling onboard our new Airbus A330 can enjoy internet and the use of their own mobile ” says Yousef A. Attiah. This customer-oriented approach is perceived as the best way to take the airline forward. Our objective is “Always to improve passenger experience, making Saudi Arabian Airlines the most convenient and comfortable choice and do so - efficiently and profitably”, he adds.
Clearly, the rapid economic growth seen in the Kingdom has opened the market for numerous global and regional carriers. Competition on services is ferocious; however despite the presence of competitors, Saudi Arabian Airlines remains the preferred carrier for passengers travelling domestically in the Kingdom given its enhanced services and convenient flight schedules. Nevertheless, “We know that there is always room for improvement and are always diligent in fine tuning our services in order to become more a customer-oriented airline”.
Saudi Arabian Airlines has a loyalty program called AlFursan. This is a unique initiative that offers frequent flyers of Saudi Arabian Airlines a range of benefits and privileges designed to make their travels even more rewarding. With Alfursan passengers can also experience a host of exciting offers, rewards and preferential rates on a range of selected services through our global partnerships, which include car rental companies, and world-class hotel.