Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has signed a large contract with aircraft interiors firm, Collins Aerospace. The deal will see the Jeddah-based carrier provided with new seating for its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet it has on order, plus refurbished interiors for its current fleets of widebodied Airbus A330s and Boeing 777-300ERs.
Under the terms of the agreement, Collins Aerospace will install newly designed seats in Saudia’s upcoming Boeing 787 fleet, the first of which are scheduled for delivery from early 2026 onwards. Additionally, a comprehensive seat retrofit program to enhance both functionality and aesthetics is planned for Saudia’s current Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 fleet, starting in late 2025 and concluding by late 2027.
The agreement will see all business class cabins across Saudia’s widebody fleet consist of private suites, ensuring an “elevated and comfortable travel experience for Saudia guests.”
“We are thrilled to join forces with Collins Aerospace to introduce state-of-the-art Business and Economy Class seats into our new fleet, as well as retrofit our existing fleet’s interiors,” commented Rossen Dimitrov, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Saudia. “This partnership represents a significant step forward in our commitment to delivering exceptional comfort and convenience to our guests. Additionally, the establishment of additional capabilities in Jeddah underscores our dedication to fostering local expertise and driving economic growth.”
“This synergy reflects the Group’s collective effort to set new standards of excellence in the aviation industry. We are confident that our collaboration with Collins Aerospace will establish a new benchmark for travel with Saudia, benefiting not only the national flag carrier but expanding to the entire Saudia Group,” he added.
According to a statement from Saudia, a key feature of the agreement involves the establishment of localized repair capabilities as well as select spares manufacturing capabilities within the airline’s in-house MRO, Saudia Technic. This will “improve Saudia’s in-house repair capability, streamline spares support, deploy localized product support, and implement comprehensive solutions to optimize fleet performance and operational efficiency,” the statement reads.
“This partnership not only expands our longstanding relationship but further supports the transformative airline growth underway at Saudia,” said Cynthia Muklevicz, Vice President of Business Development at Collins Aerospace. “Our team is dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that exceed expectations, and we look forward to collaborating closely with Saudia to redefine the standards of comfort and luxury in air travel.”
According to both firms, under the terms of the agreement, Saudia and Collins Aerospace will “leverage their respective expertise to redefine the passenger experience, aiming to create a seamless fusion of innovation, comfort, and style, setting a new standard for air travel excellence.”
According to ch-aviation, Saudia has 13 Boeing 787-9s already in service, plus an additional eight 787-10s. The new deliveries will see the first of a further 18 787-9s and an additional 21 787-10s being delivered to the carrier.
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