Saudia in talks with Airbus, Boeing for wide-body jets

Abdullah Alshahrani General Manager, Communication and Media Affairs at Saudia

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) is in talks with Airbus and Boeing over ordering wide-body jets to increase its capacity as planemakers face constraints in production slots of narrow-body aircraft, Abdullah Alshahrani, General Manager, Communication and Media Affairs, told Reuters.

Last month, Saudia Group ordered 105-plane order with Airbus but still needs 180 aircraft. Saudia aims to buy Boeing 787 and Airbus A330.

A lack of production slots at Airbus, especially for the A320, forced the group to look at wide-body jets. Talks are still ongoing for the number of wide-body jets to be ordered this year.

Al-Shahrani added that Saudia officials are planning to visit China's COMAC in September to explore future opportunities.

Saudia had a meeting with Air India this week to explore partnership opportunities, including the possibility of reaching an agreement. He indicated that the company wants to work closely with Indian airlines to increase and offer good options for Indian and Saudi travelers, he concluded.