RIYADH: With its tourism sector growing by leaps and bounds, Saudi Arabia is also witnessing the entry of major international aviation players keen to capitalize on the opportunities the Kingdom’s travel market has to offer. Wizz Air, a multinational airline, is among the frontrunners that have made substantial investments to boost its operations in the Kingdom.
The airline’s president, Robert Carey, told Arab News that the company’s debut in Saudi Arabia represented its “fastest ramp-up” ever achieved in a single market.
The official explained that out of the total fleet of 185 “we have around 10 aircraft operating in the Kingdom, representing about 7 percent of our total capacity.”
Carey said the number of passengers is growing quite favorably, accompanied by positive feedback, and there is still ample room to enhance the airline’s fare structure.
“When we get to full-scale operations, we will have about 1 million seats from and to Saudi Arabia this summer,” he told Arab News.
The airline’s chief elaborated that a standard full-scale operation usually spans about three years, the first being an investment year, followed by a breakeven point and finally growth. However, in Saudi Arabia, certain aspects are progressing more swiftly than usual, he added.
Wizz Air operates at a 30 percent lower cost than any other competitor in the region, says the airline's president, Robert Carey. (Supplied)
Having already established operations in four cities, the company has secured its foothold in the Saudi market and plans to broaden its services.
“We serve four cities in Saudi Arabia — Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Madinah. We also see potential in other cities such as Taif and Tabuk. We’re going to start exploring those cities. We think there are some natural connection points there,” Carey said.
He said the airline is also in the process of submitting a proposal to establish a base in Dammam.
Wizz Air is known for its ultra-low fares, providing customers with an accessible price point that invites a broader range of travelers.
Carey said if the company succeeded in securing the Dammam bid, it could leverage its strategic advantage within the Saudi market.
“We’re hopeful that we will be selected. I think we can bring a lot to the Kingdom if we are selected. We can bring a new price point,” Carey said.
He said the airline operates at a “30 percent lower cost than any other competitor” in the region. “That allows us to introduce flying to new passengers who don’t otherwise have a choice. We fly full flights with very high satisfaction rates.”
The airline aspires to stimulate the Kingdom’s aviation sector by linking Saudi Arabia not only with Europe but also with other regions such as Africa and Central Asia.
“We want to connect them to and from Saudi Arabia. We also want to tackle domestic travel in the Kingdom to introduce a new price point,” Carey said.
The company is collaborating intensively with various Saudi entities to increase its presence in the Kingdom.
Last year, Wizz Air forged partnerships with Saudi Arabia’s tourism and investment ministries and the General Authority of Civil Aviation to strengthen its operations in the Kingdom.
Carey lauded the Investment Ministry for its cooperation in identifying potential investment partners.
“We want to come in, we have the expertise in operating an airline, but we want to be a Saudi airline which requires a Saudi partner,” he added.
“The Tourism Ministry has also been a valuable partner. We’re doing a lot together with the Saudi Tourism Authority, and the Air Connectivity Program to identify those markets that show growth potential and how can we bring new services and stimulate new lines,” he added.
Carey said the airline is focused on ways to boost the volume of inbound tourism by increasing collaboration with the local authorities to maximize benefits for the Saudi travel and tourism sector.
“We’re serving a different market and we’re very happy that there are lots of other players in the market today. They serve a different market. They serve connecting traffic. We do all point to point. We’re focused on bringing customers to the Kingdom,” he said.
Carey was optimistic that following a successful bid for a base in Dammam, the airline would expand further using it as its launching point.
Responding to Arab News’ question about Wizz Air’s focus on bringing tourists to the Kingdom, he said being a low-cost airline “we create markets from scratch” and Saudi Arabia has “great natural sites and a lot of tourism potential.”
Carey said the company is dedicated to helping the Kingdom achieve its Vision 2030 objectives, which include attracting 100 million visitors by 2030.
The company has also demonstrated a keen interest in addressing global environmental concerns by setting sustainability goals.
Carey compared achieving sustainability goals to running a marathon. He said: “Just as we need to train and run daily to prepare for a marathon, similarly consistent efforts are required to reach sustainability objectives.”
He added that Wizz Air boasts one of the most environmentally friendly and youngest fleets in the industry, with an average aircraft age of four years.
“We have ambitions like everybody else and we believe in those ambitions. But what we want to do is we want to invest everything we can now to make sure we’re being the good citizen,” the official said.
He said: “More than half of our fleet is now the A321neo, which is the most sustainable aircraft out there.”
Carey emphasized that if all European airlines adopted the same fleet and operational model as Wizz Air, carbon emissions would decrease by one-third overnight.
