Saudia Orders 105 New Airbus Jets to Boost Tourism
- Saudia Group, representing Saudia airline and Flyadeal, orders 105 Airbus jets for tourism.
- The move reflects Saudi Arabia's ambitious tourism drive.
- Saudi Arabia invests in expanding air fleet to attract more tourists.
Saudi Arabia's national airline, Saudia, ordered over 100 new Airbus jets to attract more tourists. The order includes 105 aircraft from Airbus's A320neo family, with 12 A320neos and 93 A321neos. This order increases Saudia's total Airbus backlog to 144 planes. The airline plans to expand flights and seat capacity to reach its goal of attracting 150 million tourists by 2030. Airbus had a successful year with plans to deliver 800 commercial aircraft, surpassing the previous year by 67 planes. In contrast, Boeing faced challenges following crashes of its Max jets in 2018 and 2019. Airbus's A321neo, known for its fuel-efficient engines, has been a popular choice for airlines. Boeing tried to compete with its Max jets but encountered technical problems. Despite Boeing's issues, Airbus may not widen its lead in the aircraft market due to its high production rate and backlog of over 8,600 orders. Airbus's decision to focus on fuel efficiency with the A321neo has been beneficial, while Boeing has faced setbacks in its attempts to match this technology.