Saudi Arabia's Ambitious Tourism Drive Takes Flight with Airbus Jet Order

Saudi Arabia's national airline, Saudia Group, has purchased over 100 new Airbus jets to meet the kingdom's growing tourism industry. The order reflects the country's goal of attracting over 150 million tourists by 2030.

Saudi Arabia is pulling out all the stops to attract more tourists and its national airline is playing a key role. On Monday, Saudia Group announced an order for over 100 new Airbus jets, a reflection of the kingdom's ambitious drive to lure more visitors.

The order includes 12 A320neos and 93 A321neos, bringing Saudia Group's total Airbus aircraft backlog to 144. The new jets will be used to increase flights and seat capacity across the airline's existing 100-plus destinations.

Saudi Arabia has set a goal of attracting over 150 million tourists by 2030, and the new Airbus jets will play a crucial role in achieving that target. The kingdom is investing heavily in tourism infrastructure, including new hotels, resorts, and attractions.

The Airbus A320neo is a highly fuel-efficient aircraft that will help Saudia Group reduce its operating costs. The jet can carry up to 200 passengers and has a range of over 3,000 miles.

Airbus has been benefiting from its decision to launch the A321neo, a single-aisle aircraft with 180 to 230 seats. Boeing rushed to match it with the Max, a 737 equipped with new, more efficient engines, only to run into a myriad of technical issues.

Airbus is unlikely to extend its advantage in the Airbus-Boeing duopoly much further because the company already is making planes as fast as it can, with a backlog of more than 8,600 orders to fill.

Despite Boeing's woes, Airbus is facing its own challenges. The company has been struggling to ramp up production of its A320neo family of jets, and it has been hit by a series of supplier problems.

However, Airbus remains the dominant player in the commercial aircraft market, and its order from Saudia Group is a major vote of confidence in the company's future.