JEDDAH: The Kingdom’s national carrier, Saudia, has entered into a strategic partnership with Air France-KLM to expand and localize its maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities. This collaboration aims to enhance the Kingdom’s aviation infrastructure and contribute to its economic growth.
The agreement was formalized during a signing ceremony on Dec. 3, which was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabian Airlines Corp. Chairman Saleh Al-Jasser, Saudia Group Director Gen. Ibrahim Al-Omar, and several other dignitaries and ministers, as per a statement from Saudia.
Al-Omar said the partnership is in line with Saudi Arabia’s Aviation Strategy, led by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and demonstrates a shared commitment to advancing the country’s aviation sector.
Benjamin Smith, the CEO of Air France-KLM, highlighted the long-standing relationship between Saudia and the Air France-KLM Group, noting: “In the context of Saudi Arabia’s rapid development, we see great mutual benefit in expanding our commercial cooperation and combining our expertise, especially in the strategic area of MRO services.”
He added that Air France-KLM Engineering and Maintenance, a leader in the field, is well-positioned to deepen its collaboration with Saudia to unlock additional opportunities in Saudi Arabia and across the region.
This agreement is also part of Saudia’s broader effort to increase local content and develop local talent and capabilities in aviation, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030’s objectives to build a strong national economy.
The deal supports Saudi Arabia’s National Aviation Strategy, which aims to position the Kingdom as a global leader in tourism, business travel, and logistics. Key goals include enhancing interconnectivity, expanding the market share of national carriers, and improving airport infrastructure.
The agreement was signed by Fahd Cynndy, managing director of Saudia Technic, and Anne Brachet, executive vice president of engineering and maintenance at Air France-KLM.
The partnership marks a significant milestone in Saudia’s efforts to enhance its technical operations within the Kingdom and solidify both parties’ commitment to mutual growth in the aviation sector.
Under the terms of the agreement, Saudia will take on the assembly and disassembly of GE90 engines, which are used in Boeing 777 aircraft. Saudia will also allocate at least 50 percent of GE90 work orders to Air France-KLM in exchange for the localization of these processes.
Additionally, the partnership explores the creation of a joint venture to support GEnx engines, which power Boeing 787 aircraft. This will further bolster Saudia’s growing MRO capabilities, which already include servicing CFM LEAP-1A engines used on the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft.
On the commercial front, the agreement also focuses on strengthening the codeshare relationship between Saudia and Air France-KLM, both members of the SkyTeam alliance. This will allow for expanded reciprocal codesharing across a broader range of domestic and international routes, improving connectivity and increasing flight frequency.
Coinciding with this announcement, Air France-KLM revealed plans to expand its presence in Saudi Arabia. The group will launch a new route between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Riyadh in the summer of 2025, operated by Air France. This follows a recent agreement between Air France-KLM and Saudi Arabia’s Air Connectivity Program, signed in the presence of Deputy Minister of Tourism for International Affairs Sultan Al-Musallam.
In addition to the new Paris-Riyadh route, Transavia, the low-cost carrier of Air France-KLM, will begin flights to Jeddah from Paris-Orly and Lyon. With these new services, all three airlines in the Air France-KLM Group — Air France, KLM, and Transavia — will operate in Saudi Arabia. KLM currently serves Riyadh and Dammam from its hub at Amsterdam Schiphol.
Benjamin Smith expressed his excitement about the expansion, saying, “Saudi Arabia is rapidly becoming a world-class destination and a key gateway. We are thrilled to support the Kingdom’s growth by expanding our network and strengthening our existing routes.”
Majid Khan, CEO of the Saudi Air Connectivity Program, welcomed the addition of Air France services to the Kingdom, emphasizing that this move is part of broader efforts to enhance air connectivity to vital international destinations and streamline travel to Saudi Arabia.
“Air connectivity plays a critical role in driving tourism development. The new direct flights between Riyadh and Paris, set to launch in summer 2025, will facilitate a stronger flow of tourism between our two nations,” Khan said.
