NEW DELHI: Saudia Group, the parent company of Saudi Arabia‘s national airline Saudia and its budget carrier Flyadeal, has placed an order for 105 new Airbus jets from the A320neo family.
The order consists of 12 A320neos and 93 A321neos, bringing Saudia Group’s total Airbus aircraft order backlog to 144 planes, as the country plans to attract more than 150 million tourists by 2030.
Meanwhile, the aircraft manufacturer reported strong results for its commercial aircraft business in its latest annual earnings report, setting a target of 800 commercial aircraft deliveries in 2023, an increase of 67 compared to the previous year.
However its US rival, Boeing, has been struggling since the crashes of two 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019 that claimed 346 lives in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
Boeing’s troubles were further compounded by a recent incident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9, where a door plug blew out during a flight.
Airbus has gained an advantage over Boeing by launching the A321neo, a single-aisle aircraft with 180 to 230 seats, featuring highly fuel-efficient engines that help airlines save money on operating costs.
Boeing attempted to match this offering with the 737 Max, but encountered numerous technical issues in the process. Despite Boeing’s difficulties, Airbus is unlikely to significantly extend its lead in the duopoly, as the company is already producing planes at maximum capacity, with a backlog of more than 8,600 orders to fulfill.
The order consists of 12 A320neos and 93 A321neos, bringing Saudia Group’s total Airbus aircraft order backlog to 144 planes, as the country plans to attract more than 150 million tourists by 2030.
Meanwhile, the aircraft manufacturer reported strong results for its commercial aircraft business in its latest annual earnings report, setting a target of 800 commercial aircraft deliveries in 2023, an increase of 67 compared to the previous year.
However its US rival, Boeing, has been struggling since the crashes of two 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019 that claimed 346 lives in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
Boeing’s troubles were further compounded by a recent incident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9, where a door plug blew out during a flight.
Airbus has gained an advantage over Boeing by launching the A321neo, a single-aisle aircraft with 180 to 230 seats, featuring highly fuel-efficient engines that help airlines save money on operating costs.
Boeing attempted to match this offering with the 737 Max, but encountered numerous technical issues in the process. Despite Boeing’s difficulties, Airbus is unlikely to significantly extend its lead in the duopoly, as the company is already producing planes at maximum capacity, with a backlog of more than 8,600 orders to fulfill.
