Saudia Group has placed a firm order for 10 Airbus A330 Neos for its budget arm flyadeal, putting the airline in the path to acquire its first wide-body jet purchase as it prepares to expand into long-haul routes and tap into the growing pilgrim traffic, according to a press release from Airbus.

The details: The estimated value of the order, including engines, exceeds USD 2 bn and includes options for 10 more aircraft, flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway told The National. Deliveries will begin in July 2027 and conclude by 2029.

Airbus over Boeing: Flyadeal selected the A330 Neo over Boeing’s 787-9 due to earlier delivery slots, lower pilot training requirements, and better seat economics, Greenway added. Talks with Rolls-Royce — the A330 Neo’s sole engine supplier — are ongoing, with local maintenance, repair, and overhaul agreements under negotiation.

ICYMI- Flynas had placed a USD 30 bn “landmark” order with Airbus for 30 wide-body A330neo and 130 narrow-body A320 aircraft back in July. The delivery schedule will run from 2027 to 2034.

Airbus got something from us as well: The agreement also includes SAR 2.5 bn (USD 666 mn) of raw material (USD 666 mn of metal) — primarily titanium — from Saudi Arabia, Bloomberg reported.

The rationale: Sanctions related to the Russia-Ukraine war have limited access to key raw materials like titanium, driving up costs for aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing. The industry also faces potential additional pressure from tariffs introduced under former US President Donald Trump, Bloomberg added.

This has been in the works: Saudi Arabia partnered with Boeing and Airbus to gain approval for locally sourced aluminum and titanium for use in their aircraft, back in May 2024, aiming to expand local production of aircraft components and support global manufacturers in overcoming supply constraints. The Kingdom also introduced last November plans to expand its titanium manufacturing capacity to meet estimated global demand levels of from 15k to 250k tons.

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