Al-Qahtani Aviation, owner of SaudiGulf Airlines, is to buy 10 Airbus A320neo aircraft, it confirmed at the Bahrain International Airshow.
The company has signed an agreement to purchase the single-aisle narrow-bodies to add to its current fleet of six A320 aircraft from its hub in Dammam. The carrier began operations in 2016 serving domestic destinations across the Kingdom, prior to expanding to international routes.
Last month it launched its second international destination with flights to four destinations in Pakistan.
Sheikh Tariq Abdulhadi Al Qahtani, chairman of Al-Qahtani Aviation and SaudiGulf Airlines, said: “This expansion is in keeping with our intention to see the Saudi aviation sector continue to develop and grow in support of the Saudi Vision 2030.”
“The A320neo family represents a natural evolution of our current fleet of A320 aircraft and will contribute significantly to our network expansion in the region as well as internationally,” added Samer Majali, president and chief executive officer of SaudiGulf Airlines. This order will be complemented with additional A320neo aircraft from the leasing market,” he said.
“We are honoured to expand our partnership with SaudiGulf Airlines, as we are adding more A320s to our customer’s all-Airbus fleet,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer. “The A320neo family, with its lower operating cost, greater fuel efficiency and superior passenger comfort, will surely support SaudiGulf Airlines to achieve its ambitious growth plans.”
