NEOM Airlines will debut in 2019 as yet another new Saudi airline.
The airline is being set up to fly to the future metropolis in the nation’s northwest.
By now, the majority of those concerned in aviation and travel are aware of Saudi Arabia’s significant investment in tourism over the coming years. The Saudi Vision 2030 initiative is designed to diversify the economy of the Kingdom away from oil and gas.
By the end of this decade, one of the goals is to receive more than 100 million visitors yearly, increasing tourism’s contribution to GDP to 10%. This is a terrific time to work in the Saudi Arabian travel business because to all the government support and investment.
In addition to setting up a subsidised program for other airlines, like Wizz Air, to enhance traffic to and from the Kingdom, the government has announced the new carrier Riyadh Air and its first purchase of 39 Boeing 787 Dreamliners (with options for 33 more).
Nevertheless, it appears that there is room for other projects, as there is now confirmation of a new startup carrier that vows to set itself apart from the outset through innovation and sustainability. The two-step technological strategy of NEOM Airlines
According to a report published by Zawya on Thursday, NEOM Airlines will start operating at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024 in order to serve the imagined megacity of NEOM. Klaus Goersch, a former COO of British Airways and Air Canada, will be the CEO of the envisioned airline. On the project’s website, he offered his thoughts on the anticipated launch and the “two-step strategy” to its development.
“We’re there to make the destination possible.
(…) We must swiftly meet this demand because NEOM’s resorts won’t be operational until early 2024. To start, we will adapt old aircraft with current technology.
Yet beginning in 2026, new cutting-edge aircraft – whether they be electric, hydrogen-powered, or supersonic – and next-generation interiors will be available from us. We’ve already started talking to producers of seats, interiors, and aircraft.”
NEOM should emulate what Emirates has done for Dubai.
Similar to the locations the airline plans to fly to, digitization, innovation, and sustainability will be emphasized. NEOM claims that its ultimate goal is to “elevate every single contact point” with an immersive and technologically advanced experience that starts long before you even step foot on a plane. Goersch went on to say,
“Other airlines are concentrating on the journey because they are not involved in either the front or the back of the journey. The situation will be different for us. Although the Gulf airlines have attempted this to some extent, we will go far further.
Dubai, for instance, wouldn’t exist without Emirates, am I correct? Be prepared for a very unique traveling experience.” Large screen IFE at each seat, 6G WiFi for gaming, and biometric security clearance without the need for specific gates or visa presentation at the airport are just a few of the standout features that NEOM Airlines is planned.
What on earth is NEOM?
If you haven’t heard of NEOM before, it is a $500 billion project that involves the construction of a planned, future city that is intended to serve as a center for sustainable living, innovation, and technology. The proposed construction’s initial renderings resemble something from a science fiction film (if it is a good one remains to be seen following implementation).
Some people are eager to witness a variety of new technologies come to life, while a Bloomberg writer compared one of its regions, known as “The Line,” to a “horizontal tower of Babel” because of the construction’s long, narrow corridor design.
