Commences comprehensive preparations for the upcoming departure phase

Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has successfully concluded the first phase of operations for its Hajj season 1445H, marked by the completion of arrival flights. The last flight (SV5827), arrived today at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah from Riyadh, carrying 445 Hajj pilgrims.

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Saudia Concludes First Phase of the Hajj Season 1445H, Transporting More Than 500,000 Pilgrims. (Photo: Business Wire)

During the arrival phase, which lasted 32 days, seamless cooperation between various government entities ensured a smooth experience for Hajj pilgrims. This integrated performance aligns with the directives of Saudi Arabia’s wise leadership to provide the highest quality services to pilgrims.

In total, Saudia transported 509,000 Hajj pilgrims on 3,400 flights from over 150 destinations worldwide during the arrival phase. The operation achieved an On-Time Performance rate of 88%. Pilgrims benefited from a range of enhanced services, including digital services and inflight entertainment programs with educational content on Hajj regulations and rituals in multiple languages.

Amer Alkhushail, Chief Executive Officer of Saudia Hajj and Umrah, said: "The operations during the arrival phase were excellent. The success of the process was due to a strategic plan that considered travel demand and fleet capacity, enabling smooth operational execution and high-quality service delivery. I would like to take the opportunity and extend my appreciation to the entire team in Saudia for their significant contributions in enhancing guest experience through providing high level air and on ground services.”

Following the arrival of the last flight, Saudia has promptly commenced preparations for the departure phase. Numerous meetings are being held to discuss optimal strategies for implementing the second phase, aiming to streamline airport movements and ensure On-Time Performance throughout the phases.

About Saudia:

Saudia (Saudia Airlines) is the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Established in 1945, the company has grown to become one of the Middle East’s largest airlines.

Saudia has invested significantly in upgrading its aircraft and currently operates one of the youngest fleet. The airline serves an extensive global route network covering around 100 destinations across four continents, including all 28 domestic airports in Saudi Arabia.

A member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), Saudia has also been a member airline in SkyTeam, the second largest alliance, since 2012.

Saudia was recently awarded the "World Class Airline 2024" for the third consecutive year at The APEX Official Airline Ratings™ awards. Saudia has also advanced 11 places in the Skytrax airlines ranking of the World Best Airlines 2023. The Airline also ranked top among global airlines for best on-time performance (OTP) according to a report by the Cirium.

For more information on Saudia, please visit www.saudia.com

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