Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) has seen travel demand levels soar at the height of the Hajj religious pilgrimage season, reaching a record of 558 flights this week.

With return pilgrimage traffic, in combination with the start of the summer season, Saudi Arabia’s national flag carrier seamlessly transported 72,800 guests in total without any delays, covering both domestic traffic between the different regions of Saudi Arabia, as well as internationally to and from major cities across four continents.

Meanwhile, SAUDIA is on track with the peak of the summer travel demand, which also coincides with the Eid Al-Adha holidays return travel, including the return of the Hajj pilgrims to their home destinations.  During this period, a total of 2,148 flights are scheduled,  with operations in full swing to transport 270,000 guests.

SAUDIA have ensured operational teams are equipped and are well on track to provide its signature level of service and hospitality with the onset of the wave of increased traffic and additional flights. 

Chief Executive Officer of SAUDIA, Captain Ibrahim Koshy, stated that operating close to 600 departures in a single day has seen the airline’s operations return to pre-pandemic levels, and that SAUDIA is stringently focused on seamless schedules and an enjoyable guest experience. He added, while SAUDIA is pleased to be seeing flights return to volumes we have not seen for over two years, we see it as a great responsibility toward our guests to ensure an exceptional experience on their travel journeys.

The growing traffic of SAUDIA flights is supported by its rapidly expanding fleet, which currently consists of 144 of the latest narrow and widebody Airbus and Boeing aircraft.  The expansion of SAUDIA’s fleet and route network comes in line with its role as the ‘Wings of Vision 2030’ in addition to its commitment to enable the Kingdom to reach 100 million visits to Saudi Arabia by the end of the decade.

SAUDIA is nominated as Middle East’s Leading Airline 2022 by World Travel Awards.