Saudia Airlines sees no delays in receiving Airbus jet deliveries

Saudia Airlines is confident that recently ordered Airbus jets will be delivered on schedule despite recent production delays, a senior airline executive said on Tuesday.

State-owned parent Saudi Group ordered 105 narrow-body Airbus planes in May to be split between Saudia Airlines and its low-cost sister carrier flydeal.

Saudia is due to receive the first aircraft in 2026, with deliveries stretching until 2031, said Saleh Eid, vice-president of fleet management and agreements at Saudia Airlines.

"We are very comfortable with these delivery times," he told Reuters, noting that the airline was still taking delivery of Airbus planes under a previous order.

"We believe that the delivery dates we have got are safe," he said at an event to mark the recent plane order at an Airbus factory in Hamburg.

Airline industry executives have said in recent months they are being notified of further delays amid disruption to supply chains. A decision by Airbus to slow its production ramp-up and cut delivery goals has trimmed expectations for 2024 and beyond.

Saudi Arabia is investing billions of dollars to diversify its economy from fossil fuel. Aviation plans include new airlines and potentially a huge international airport as it takes on regional rival and Gulf travel hub, the UAE.

However, some analysts have questioned how the multi-year expansion will be funded. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday revised downwards Saudi Arabia's economic growth by nearly one percentage point, mainly due to oil production cuts.

Even so, Airbus data issued this week pointed to continued rises in air travel.

Reuters