Air Arabia joint venture to head new Saudi low-cost airline: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has granted a license to operate a new budget carrier in an Air Arabia-led alliance — set to be headquartered at Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport (DMM), GACA said in a statement on X. The new airline — a joint venture between UAE’s Air Arabia, Jeddah-based Kun Investment, and Saudi’s Nesma Holding — is set to operate domestic and international flights from DMM. The investment figure or a timeline for the launch of the airline was not disclosed.

What’s in the cards? The new airline aims to add 45 aircrafts to its fleet — serving 24 domestic and 57 international destinations by 2030. It aims to transport up to 10 mn passengers annually by the end of the decade as well generate nearly 2.4k direct jobs. The move looks to bolster air connectivity and accessibility for the Kingdom’s Eastern region.

Big things are cooking for Eastern Province airports: GACA launches SAR 1.6 bn Dammam airports strategy — which includes 77 infrastructure projects aimed at bolstering passenger experience and operational efficiency, according to a statement on X. The funding will be plugged into new master plans for King Fahd International Airport, Al-Ahsa Airport, and Al Qaisumah International Airport. The new plan aims to facilitate over 19.3 mn passengers annually at King Fahd International airport and air cargo capacity to over 600k tons per year by 2030.

IN OTHER AVIATION NEWS-

Bahrain’s flag carrier Gulf Air has inked a USD 4.6 bn agreement with Boeing to purchase up to 18 787 Dreamliners, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported last week. The carrier agreed to purchase 12 787 jets with an option to add six more, raising its firm order book for this model to 14, according to a statement published last week. The move is expected to expand Gulf Air’s international network and increase passenger capacity by 20%.

Things changed: An agreement for 12 Boeing 787 jets with an option for six more — along with 40 General Electric (GE) engines — was valued at USD 7 bn, Reuters reported last week.

There’s more: Gulf Air signed an MoU with the US planemaker to examine the potential of local maintenance, repair, and overhaul in Bahrain, BNA reported.

GE Aerospace was also tapped for business: The Bahraini carrier also inked an MoU with GE Aerospace to obtain 36 aircraft engines for the upcoming order, Al Arabiya reported last week. This move marks Gulf Air stepping away from Rolls Royce-made engines currently used in its twin-aisle jets, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources.

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