NEOM enters strategic partnership with SAUDIA to promote the newest tourism destination

The national carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has entered a strategic partnership with NEOM Co. in a wide-ranging agreement to work together on promoting NEOM as a top location for tourists worldwide.

Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding signed in Riyadh today, SAUDIA will work with NEOM to create worldwide awareness of the Kingdom's giga project. Both parties also agreed to collaborate to maximize exposure of NEOM, a key component of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.

In addition, both parties agreed that SAUDIA Holidays will develop products and packaged experiences for visitors, exploiting the competitive advantage of SAUDIA's global network covering 94 destinations.

Saudi Airlines starts flights to Marrakesh and Athens

Saudi Airlines has launched a second international destination, Marrakech, less than 24 hours after its launch to Athens. On Thursday, June 6, it launched its first direct and regular flights to Marrakesh, the second destination in the Kingdom of Morocco after Casablanca. 3) weekly flights in one direction from Jeddah, and was inaugurated at the dawn of the day in the presence of the Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser and a number of officials of the operational sectors in "Saudi" and government agencies operating at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

Etihad Airways and Saudia to build on existing codeshare partnership

Photo Saudia

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi national flag carrier, Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), announced positive growth in traffic since their codeshare partnership began in November 2018.

Jointly, Etihad and SAUDIA have flown over 16,000 guests across the partnership, solidifying the airlines’ commitment to growing inbound business and tourism in their respective markets. 

Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group said: “The close and expanding partnership between Etihad and Saudia is giving us a unique opportunity to build on the deep ties that exist between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, As the national airline of the UAE, this is - a role we are extremely proud to play.

“With greater choice now available, more flexibility across both our schedules, and world-leading products and services, together, we now fly approximately 150 guests per day across each other’s networks. Our plan is to grow this number considerably through expansion of the codeshare agreement in the coming months, and to deliver more benefits to our customers.”

Photo Etihad

The codeshare agreement has seen ‘EY’ and ‘SV’ codes already placed on 14 routes with the addition of Vienna this week. In the coming months, Etihad will place its ‘EY’ code on, Tunis, Sharm El Sheikh and Alexandria. At the same time, Saudia will place its ‘SV’ code on Etihad flights to Tokyo, Nagoya, and Baku. Phase two for the ‘EY’ code will include Algiers, Dhaka and Erbil. And Phase two for the ‘SV’ code will include Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Moscow, Dusseldorf, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, Lagos, Minsk, Rabat, Astana, and more points in India.

Saudia flight returns to Jeddah after passenger forgets her .................... baby!

Photo Saudia

A Saudia flight from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur had to turn back to its Saudi Arabian base after one of the passengers became anxious - not for a medical reason but because the lady had left her baby at the airport.

Flight SV832A had just set off from Jeddah, however, the passenger told the cabin crew that she had left something important behind - her baby.  The crew then informed the pilots and they asked air traffic control for permission to return to the airport.

The news of the absent-minded passenger and the unusual reason to request a return to base for the aircraft only came to light after the radio conversation between the pilot and ATC was uploaded to social media.

The video has had more than  30,000 views and init can be heard part of the conversation, “May God be with us. Can we come back or what?” the pilot asks.

“This flight is requesting to come back…a passenger forgot her baby in the waiting area, the poor thing,” an ATC agent says.  The pilot is then asked again for the reason he wants to return, he replies, "We told you, a passenger left her baby in the terminal and refuses to continue the flight."

"Ok, head back to the gate," says ATC. "This is totally a new one for us!"

Saudia halts Toronto flights after diplomatic spat.

The national airline of Saudi Arabia, Saudia has confirmed it has now suspended flights to and from Toronto, Canada following a series of measures the Saudi Kingdom instigated this week as the diplomatic tensions between the two nations intensify.

The Saudi's have frozen new trade and investments with Canada after the Canadian government in Ottawa urged Riyadh to free arrested civil rights activists. The kingdom also recalled its ambassador to Canada as well as telling the Canadian ambassador to leave the country within 24 hours.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said, “Canada will always stand up for human rights in Canada and around the world, and women’s rights are human rights.”  Currently, the trading relationship between the two nations is worth nearly $4 billion a year and the new diplomatic tensions put in jeopardy a  $13 billion defence contract.

Saudi Arabian Airlines Head Back to Baghdad

Saudi Arabian Airlines has confirmed to the Saudi state news agency SPA, that it will be heading back to Baghdad with a regular service after a 27-year break.

The carrier's director general, Saleh bin Nasser al-Jasser, will accompany reporters and passengers on the first flight to depart from the Saudi city of Jeddah to Baghdad, due to take place today according to SPA. 

There have been no flights between Saudi

Arabia and Iraq since former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded neighbouring Kuwait in 1990.  Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are both trying hard to sway influence in Baghdad as they see it key in their battle against Iranian influence in the region. 

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Saudi Arabian Airlines Fined

Saudi Arabian Airlines has been fined some 1.4 million euros by a regional Belgian government for breaching EU carbon emissions rules, making it the first big non-EU carrier to be fined for breaking the EU aviation law.

The European Union requirement that all aircraft using its airports pay for carbon emissions caused international outcry when it was introduced at the start of 2012.