Did you know Saudia is the GCC’s first flag carrier?

Did you know Saudia is GCC's first flag carrier? SV's brand refresh calls for a rejig in the order of topics being discussed in the series “Aviation in Saudi: Past, Present, and Future.”

Saudia has evolved from a single DC-3 in 1945, to a 140+ aircraft fleet serving 100+ destinations today. While the airline ruled the Saudi skies over the last 70+ years, it would soon have to share its habitat with Riyadh Air and carve a space for itself.

In this edition, let's take a look at the timeline of the inception of GCC flag carriers.

Saudia (SV), the national carrier of Saudi Arabia, was established in 1945 as Saudi Arabian Airlines.

Emirates (EK), based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was founded in 1985.

Etihad Airways (EY), the second flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, was established in 2003 with its hub in Abu Dhabi.

Qatar Airways (QR) based in Doha, Qatar, was founded in 1993 and commenced operations in 1994.

Gulf Air (GF), the national carrier of Bahrain, has a history dating back to 1950. Originally established as Gulf Aviation Company, it provided air travel services in the region. In 1973, it transformed into Gulf Air and became the flag carrier of Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE.

Oman Air (WY) was founded in 1993 and became the national carrier of Oman with Muscat International Airport as its hub.

Kuwait Airways (KU), the national airline of Kuwait, has a history dating back to 1954.

In the next post, we will dive into more details of the Kingdom's current airport landscape.

(Views my own; happy to amend inaccuracies, if any)

#vision2030 #saudiaviationstrategy #aviation #saudiarabia