Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), the Kingdom’s national flag carrier, welcomed its first 787-10 Dreamliner at a special ceremony at the new Terminal 1 of Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport.
The largest member of the Dreamliner family sets the benchmark for fuel efficiency and operating economics and will complement Saudia’s existing fleet of 13 Boeing 787-9 aircraft. It is expected to play a key role in the airline’s fleet and network expansion.
“Saudia operates a state-of-the-art fleet equipped with the latest technology, and in addition to the airline’s existing Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, is now adding the 787-10 variant which will further support future network growth plans,” said Director General of Saudia Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser.
“The airplane’s onboard cabin features, long-range capability and the latest in technological advancements are among the many aspects of what makes the Boeing 787 highly popular with our guests,” he added.
The layout of the Saudia Boeing 787-10 will be 357 seats in a two-class configuration, with 24 seats in business class and 333 seats in guest class (economy).
In addition to the 787-10, Saudia operates 13 787-9 Dreamliner airplanes, and 33 777-300ER (extended range) jets.
“Saudia has been a valued partner with Boeing for nearly 75 years and this delivery marks another major milestone in our partnership. Our team takes great pride in building and delivering quality aircraft to Saudia and we are honored by the continuing confidence in the 787 Dreamliner and 777 families,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of commercial sales and marketing, The Boeing Company.
“The addition of the 787-10 to Saudia’s fleet will continue the superior inflight experience that passengers have come to expect of the Dreamliner. Moreover, the unmatched fuel efficiency of the 787 will help Saudia open new routes and achieve significant fuel savings and emission reduction,” he added.
