Jeddah: Wednesday, 30 August 2023– Following the Hajj Season in 2023, the SAUDIA Group has reported that its operating results during the peak of the summer travel season, which runs from May 21 to August 2nd, 2023, demonstrate exceptional operating rates. The Saudai Group had its best performance during this time, as the airline operated 79,000 flights and reserved more than 1.2 million seats for Hajj pilgrims.
The SAUDIA fleet flew an average of 500,000 hours, with an on-time performance percentage of 83.8%. The efficient management of the flights by 1,768 pilots and assistant pilots, while the guest cabin crew operated at full capacity throughout the season with a total of 6,063 crew members speaking more than 42 languages, contributed to SAUDIA's success.
The Saudi Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) was also mobilized during the Hajj season, operating at full capacity with its automated capabilities and qualified cadres to ensure the delivery of the best services. During the Hajj season, SAEI committed a specialist team to support it, which included allocating 112 maintenance stations run by 1,154 technicians. In addition, SAEI provided SAUDIA with 3,896 different types of aircraft parts, and 50,700 hours were devoted to maintenance. The General Authority of Civil Aviation, the US Federal Aviation Authority, and the European Organization for Aviation Safety are just a few of the organizations from which SAEI has received numerous international licenses and certificates. Additionally, SAEI secured manufacturer-approved permits that enable the business to produce airplane spare parts in a constrained quantity.
The Saudi Airlines Catering Company (SACC), which produced meals that met the highest international standards, also played a significant role during the Hajj season. By offering a varied product in line with the needs of service during the Hajj and Umrah seasons, which require record levels of speed and integrated work, SACC also provided comprehensive catering solutions to institutions and agencies working to serve Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in order to satisfy all tastes. As part of its catering services at the holy places, SACC offered 5.4 million meals on airplanes, 83,400 meals on the Haramain High Speed Railway, and 357,000 meals.
With a standard operational discipline rate of 99%, the Saudi Ground Services Company (SGS) handled more than 25,000 flights at the arrival and departure stages, carrying more than 2.18 million pilgrims, by investing its expertise in providing ground handling services at all domestic airports. Because people who joined were taught on the job to cover the additional sites during the Hajj season, SGS's services created a number of seasonal jobs that helped speed up the processes. Arabic, English, Japanese, Turkish, French, German, Urdu, Pakistani Bengali, Hindi, Filipino, Tamil, Malayalam, and Malay are just a few of the languages that the staff members are fluent in.
King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, and Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina are the four domestic airports where Saudia Private Aviation (SPA) offers its competitive services that target businessmen and senior officials. Over 4,300 pilgrims were transported on 192 flights operated by SPA during the Hajj season, with ground handling services offered for the trips. Private travel lounges, a contemporary fleet with a comfortable cabin and crew, as well as post-flight services like welcome and support, guest relations, and guide service, were among the many amenities that guests could take advantage of.
The pilgrims received numerous support services from SAUDIA's offices in Makkah and Medina, including tickets and confirmations of reservations. Additionally, they supported all government organizations that provided services to pilgrims, such as reserving seats in advance and giving vouchers, arranging for the storage of extra baggage, and attending to the requirements of sick visitors and others with special needs. All SAUDIA facilities were run by highly skilled and experienced personnel who were available around the clock, seven days a week.
"The end of the Hajj season marks the beginning of our preparation for the next one, as all stages will be reviewed and evaluated in order to further improve the level of services and enhance our performance in time for the upcoming Hajj season," said Mr. Amer Alkhushail, Chief Hajj and Umrah Officer at SAUDIA Group. Our top priorities are expansion and growth, which are consistent with Vision 2030's goals to improve the services offered to Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
