Latest news with #Nesma
UAE Moments
6 hours ago
- Business
- UAE Moments
Air Arabia to Launch New Low-Cost Airline in Saudi Arabia
Heads up, travelers—Saudi Arabia just gave the green light to a brand-new low-cost airline, and it's going to be based right at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The big names behind this? Air Arabia, Kun Investment Holding, and Nesma, who've teamed up to launch this fresh national carrier. What's the Plan? The new airline isn't just here for a soft landing. It's aiming big— 57 international and 24 domestic destinations by 2030. Think more affordable flights, fewer layovers, and easier getaways from the Eastern Region. And yes, it's low-cost. So expect competitive fares that don't wreck your wallet. 10 Million Passengers a Year? Yup, that's the target. With a planned fleet of 45 aircraft, the airline hopes to carry 10 million passengers every year. That's a whole lot of weekend trips and vacation goals. More Than Just Travel It's not just about flying— over 2,400 jobs are expected to be created. The Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, Saleh Al-Jasser, is hyped about it, saying this new airline will ramp up competition and give travelers more options. Basically, it's a win for everyone.
The National
18 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Air Arabia alliance wins bid to operate low-cost airline in Saudi Arabia
UAE carrier Air Arabia is part of an alliance that won the rights to operate a new low-cost airline in Saudi Arabia to boost air connectivity in the kingdom. The new consortium will operate the airline from the King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and provide competitive travel options for passengers, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said in a social media post on X on Sunday. Egypt's Nesma and Jeddah-based Kun Investments Holding are part of the consortium that won the bid, according to the post. The airline is expected to enhance air connectivity in the eastern region. By 2030, the new Air Arabia alliance will operate 45 aircraft and will serve 24 domestic and 57 international destinations, the social media post said. It will also transport up to 10 million passengers annually and create 2,400 direct jobs by 2030. 'The establishment of a new low-cost airline in Dammam further builds Saudi Arabia's position as the world's biggest aviation growth story, with the proposals received reflecting strong global investment in Saudi aviation," Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al Jasser said. "This award will drive further growth in support of Vision 2030 and the National Transport and Logistics Strategy.' The award follows a competitive tender process initiated by Saudi Arabia's GACA, involving proposals from international, regional and domestic airlines to establish a new Dammam-based national airline with majority Saudi ownership, the authority said. The new low cost airline aims to enhance aviation sector's competitiveness as well as expand travel options and increase passenger numbers, Abdulaziz Al Duailej, president of GACA, said in a separate post on X. It is also meant to support the growth of economy and tourism in the eastern region of the kingdom, he added. The tendering process for the airline had attracted other bidders. Kuwait's Jazeera Airways had also placed a bid to launch the low-cost airline from Dammam, its chief executive told The National in an interview last year. "We do believe we have the best credentials and have submitted the best plan but this is a tendering process so it can go either way," Barathan Pasupathi had said in September. Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's largest economy, aims to diversify its economy away from oil as part of Vision 2030 programme. The kingdom's plan is to become a travel hot spot, having invested $800 billion to develop the sector and set a revised target of attracting 150 million visitors by the end of the decade. In 2023, Saudi Arabia also announced the creation of a new national airline Riyadh Air, as the kingdom seeks to develop into a global transport and logistics hub, attract tourists and diversify its economy. Riyadh Air is fully owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and is expected to begin its first commercial flight in the fourth quarter of this year. Competitive aviation market "Air Arabia would be stepping into a very competitive Saudi landscape," said Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research told The National. "With flynas, flyadeal, Saudi Airlines as well as Riyadh Air all competing for domestic, regional and international traffic, Air Arabia will have to carve out a niche to ensure success." However, Air Arabia has a "suite of regional hubs so there's a good chance it can use its regional footprint to augment its planned Saudi operations", he added. "Longer term, the evolving Saudi market will change and it'll be interesting to see if Air Arabia elects to spread beyond Dammam into more competitive cities like Jeddah and Riyadh and set up camp there." Expansion of Dammam airport Separately, Saudi Arabia on Sunday, also launched the Dammam Airports Strategy and a package of integrated development projects valued at more than 1.6 billion Saudi riyals ($427 million), including 77 infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and improving the passenger experience. The strategic plan aims to accommodate more than 19.3 million passengers annually at King Fahd International Airport by 2030, doubling the number served in 2022, the Saudi Press Agency reported. It also seeks to significantly expand air cargo capacity to over 600,000 tonnes a year. Future developments include an expansion of the airport's operational capacity, increasing aircraft movements to 77 per hour and boosting annual passenger capacity to 32 million.
Al Etihad
21 hours ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
Air Arabia Alliance to launch new low-cost airline from Dammam
20 July 2025 18:15 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Saudi Arabia has announced the launch of a new national low-cost airline based at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, aimed at enhancing air connectivity in the Eastern Province and offering more competitive pricing options for General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said in a statement posted on X that a consortium comprising Air Arabia, Kun Investment Holding, and Nesma has won the bid to establish and operate the new carrier. The initiative is part of the Kingdom's broader efforts to position its civil aviation sector as the leading one in the Middle East by Arabia, a leading low-cost airline based in the UAE, brings operational experience in affordable air travel across the region. Kun Investment Holding is a Saudi investment firm focused on developing strategic national projects, while Nesma is a diversified Saudi conglomerate with existing experience in the aviation to GACA, the new airline will operate both domestic and international flights to and from Dammam, with an ambitious plan to serve 24 domestic and 57 international destinations by 2030. The airline is expected to transport up to 10 million passengers annually, create more than 2,400 direct jobs, and maintain a fleet of 45 aircraft. The project aligns with the Kingdom's aviation sector goals, which include enhancing air connectivity for the Eastern Region, fostering a competitive environment with more travel options, and improving the overall quality of passenger services.
Arab News
a day ago
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia approves new Dammam-based budget airline backed by Air Arabia
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has granted a low-cost airline license to an Air Arabia-led consortium, aiming to boost air connectivity, create jobs, and upgrade transport in the Eastern Province. The new carrier, a joint venture between the UAE-based budget airline, KUN Investment Holding, and Nesma, will be headquartered at Dammam's King Fahd International Airport. It is expected to operate both domestic and international routes, helping expand access and competition in the Kingdom's growing aviation market. According to the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the new airline aims to serve 24 domestic and 57 international destinations, transporting around 10 million passengers annually. Its operations will be supported by a fleet of 45 aircraft and are projected to create more than 2,400 direct jobs, aligning with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals to boost the non-oil economy and local employment. In a statement, GACA stated: 'This move aims to enhance air connectivity in the Eastern Province, increase seat capacity, and provide passengers with competitive options.' The announcement comes as part of broader efforts to transform Saudi Arabia into a regional aviation hub. The country plans to handle 330 million passengers and transport 4.5 million tons of air cargo annually by 2030, under the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services. As part of this strategy, Eastern Province Gov. Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz also inaugurated the master plans for King Fahd International, Al-Ahsa, and Al-Qaisumah airports, alongside a new corporate identity for Dammam Airports Co. The governor also launched a SR1.6 billion ($426 million) development package covering 77 infrastructure projects to improve passenger experience and airport services. King Fahd International Airport handled 12 million passengers in 2024, up 15 percent from the previous year, with over 99,000 flights recorded, according to data from Dammam Airports Co. The airport also set a daily passenger traffic record, surpassing 50,000 travelers in a single day for the first time. With air traffic steadily rising and infrastructure rapidly expanding, the introduction of a new budget airline based in Dammam is expected to solidify the region's position as a key aviation gateway and support Saudi Arabia's ambitions to lead the Middle East civil aviation sector by the end of the decade.
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
New low-cost Saudi airline to operate from Dammam
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation announced on Sunday that an alliance consisting of Air Arabia, Kun Investment Holding and Nesma won a bid to operate a new low-cost Saudi national airline operating from the King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The authority said in a post on X that the new airline aims to enhance 'air connectivity for the Eastern Region, increase seat capacity, and to provide competitive travel options for passengers.' The new airlines will also operate domestic and international flights with the capacity of 57 international destinations and 24 local destinations. It also aims to carry around 10 million passengers annually. Developing
