Saudi Arabian Airlines was founded in 1946 as a state run company and started operating DC-3s in the region. After the DC-3s came the Bristol 170, the DC-4 and then the Convair 340. With the Boeing 720, a shortened and simplified derivative of the famous Boeing 707, the company entered the jet age in 1962. Soon 707s and 727s were added. The fleet was further diversified when in the 1970s the queen of the skies, the Boeing 747 and the famous Lokheed L-1011 Tristar were introduced. Meanwhile the airline was flying to destinations all over the Middle East, Europe, America and Asia. In the decade that followed the Airbus A 300 was introduced in huge numbers (in total Saudi Arabian Airlines operated approximately 90 A300s at all times) and the Fokker 28 complemented the short haul Boeing 737s which were operated since the 70s. In the 1990s the Boeing 777-200 replaced many older widebodies and the airline became the biggest operator of the MD-90 when it bought 30 units of this updated and fully modernised DC-9 / MD 80. The MD-11 complemented the long-haul fleet and as the first legacy carrier of the Middle East it ordered 15 Embraer 170 regional jets. Since 2006 SV is no longer the biggest carrier in the region, being surpassed by Emirates. Currently a fleet roll-over programm is in the works and the carrier ordered 8 Airbus A330, 12 Boeing 787 and 45 Airbus A320 (mainly as a replacement for the not so old MD-90s). Currently more than 70 destinations worldwide are served. In addition to regular scheduled flights Saudi Arabian Airlines is offering charter flights with special emphasis on Hajj pilgrim travellers. The carrier has its base in Jeddah with Riyadh and Dammam being focus cities.
The fleet as of July 2009 consists of the following aircraft:
23 Boeing 747 (of which 4 frames are freighters)
4 MD-11 freighters
2 Airbus A330-200 (leased from Atlasjet)
23 Boeing 777-200
6 Airbus A300-600 (leased in from Onur Air)
4 Boeing 757 (leased from Atlasjet)
2 Airbus A321 (1 leased from Onur Air, 1 leased from Atlasjet)
28 McDonnell-Douglas MD-90
15 Embraer E-170
The fleet as of July 2009 consists of the following aircraft:
23 Boeing 747 (of which 4 frames are freighters)
4 MD-11 freighters
2 Airbus A330-200 (leased from Atlasjet)
23 Boeing 777-200
6 Airbus A300-600 (leased in from Onur Air)
4 Boeing 757 (leased from Atlasjet)
2 Airbus A321 (1 leased from Onur Air, 1 leased from Atlasjet)
28 McDonnell-Douglas MD-90
15 Embraer E-170
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