Efforts are underway to privatize four major sectors of Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) this year, including Prince Sultan Aviation Academy and Saudia Private Airline.
Abdullah Al-Ajhar, vice president for public relations, said two other units earmarked for privatization in 2014 include medical services, which include a 400-bed hospital, and Saudi Airlines Real Estate Development Company.
Saudia has already privatized five units including catering, cargo, ground services and Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries.
“This year will witness the privatization of about 70 to 80 percent of our strategic units.”
He said the privatization efforts have enabled the organization to increase its revenues. The profits of ground services reached SR600 million while the Catering Company makes a profit of SR400 to SR600 million. Saudia cargo makes similar profits.
Speaking to Arab News, Al-Ajhar disclosed Saudia’s plan to purchase 35 new aircraft to beef up services in the domestic sector.
The airline aims to transport 22 million passengers between Saudi cities by 2020.
“We are still in the planning stage. We have yet to determine the model and size of the new aircraft,” he said.
He said Saudia would receive the remaining 20 aircraft of a previous 90-plane order within two years.
“These aircraft will have three classes and their business class will have sleeper beds.”
Al-Ajhar called 2013 a year of outstanding achievements for the company.
“We have transported a record 25 million passengers in 2013 and expect to carry more than 26 million in 2014. The addition of 70 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to the fleet is another major achievement,” he said.
He highlighted Saudia’s efforts to improve services by upgrading its IT infrastructure and expanding self-service systems.
“There has been a 300 percent increase in the number of website users while our electronic sales have grown to SR2.7 billion.”
Al-Ajhar said there were no serious complaints from customers about the airline’s services.
“A survey conducted among passengers last year found that customer satisfaction was above 90 percent,” he said.
Saudia’s Facebook page reached 1 million hits this week.
“We welcome public interaction through social media. It will help us further improve our services,” he said.
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20 advanced aircraft to join Saudia fleet
20 advanced aircraft to join Saudia fleet
More than 150 Palestinians were held on a plane for around 12 hours in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG: South African authorities faced heavy criticism Friday after they held more than 150 Palestinians, including a woman who is nine months pregnant, on a plane for around 12 hours due to complications with their travel documents.
A pastor who was allowed to meet with the passengers while they were still stuck on the plane said it was very extremely and that children were screaming and crying.
The Palestinians landed on a charter plane at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport on Thursday morning after a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya, South Africa’s Border Management Authority said in a statement.
The Palestinian passengers did not have exit stamps from Israeli authorities, did not indicate how long they would be staying in South Africa and had not given local addresses, leading immigration authorities to deny them entry, the statement said.
The 153 passengers including families and children were allowed to leave the plane on Thursday night after South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs intervened and a local non-governmental organization called Gift of the Givers offered to accommodate them. The Border Management Authority said 23 passengers had since traveled on to other countries, leaving 130 in South Africa.
Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman said it was the second plane carrying Palestinians to land in South Africa in the last two weeks and that the passengers themselves did not know where they were going. He said both planes were believed to be carrying people from war-torn Gaza.
It was not immediately clear who organized the charter plane.
A South African pastor who was given access to the plane while it was on the tarmac told national broadcaster SABC that many of the Palestinians now intended to claim asylum in South Africa.
South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and the treatment of the travelers has sparked anger.
“It’s dire,” Nigel Branken, the pastor, said in an interview with SABC on Thursday from the plane as he described the conditions. “When I came onto the plane it was excruciatingly hot. There were lots of children just sweating and screaming and crying.”
“I do not believe this is what South Africa is about. South Africa should be letting these people into the airport at the very least and letting them apply for asylum. This is their basic fundamental right guaranteed in our constitution.”
A pastor who was allowed to meet with the passengers while they were still stuck on the plane said it was very extremely and that children were screaming and crying.
The Palestinians landed on a charter plane at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport on Thursday morning after a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya, South Africa’s Border Management Authority said in a statement.
The Palestinian passengers did not have exit stamps from Israeli authorities, did not indicate how long they would be staying in South Africa and had not given local addresses, leading immigration authorities to deny them entry, the statement said.
The 153 passengers including families and children were allowed to leave the plane on Thursday night after South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs intervened and a local non-governmental organization called Gift of the Givers offered to accommodate them. The Border Management Authority said 23 passengers had since traveled on to other countries, leaving 130 in South Africa.
Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman said it was the second plane carrying Palestinians to land in South Africa in the last two weeks and that the passengers themselves did not know where they were going. He said both planes were believed to be carrying people from war-torn Gaza.
It was not immediately clear who organized the charter plane.
A South African pastor who was given access to the plane while it was on the tarmac told national broadcaster SABC that many of the Palestinians now intended to claim asylum in South Africa.
South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and the treatment of the travelers has sparked anger.
“It’s dire,” Nigel Branken, the pastor, said in an interview with SABC on Thursday from the plane as he described the conditions. “When I came onto the plane it was excruciatingly hot. There were lots of children just sweating and screaming and crying.”
“I do not believe this is what South Africa is about. South Africa should be letting these people into the airport at the very least and letting them apply for asylum. This is their basic fundamental right guaranteed in our constitution.”
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