Jeddah : Saudia, the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, transported over 30 million passengers in 2023, a 21 per cent increase compared to 2022.

The airline operated over 176.3 thousand flights in 2023, a 4 per cent increase compared to 2022. Also, transit flights of the airline recorded a growth of 77 per cent in 2023 compared to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, said Saudia in a release.

"The developments are a result of Saudia's strategic enhancements to its operational model, which focused on increasing seat capacity and flight frequency while fostering operational efficiency to achieve an overall on-time performance of 86.44 per cent in 2023 which is among the top 10 globally," added the release.

On the development, Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO, Saudia Group, said, "Saudia's growing performance metrics reflect the optimal execution of our year-round operational plan, particularly during peak seasons. These figures are a testament to our success in serving key sectors, including tourism, business, and pilgrimage. Looking ahead, we anticipate a substantial expansion of our fleet, propelling our performance and marking a new chapter for Saudia since its inception, eighty-years ago."

Internationally, Saudia transported over 16.7 million passengers through its international flight network in 2023, marking a 36 per cent increase. The airline operated over 79.4 thousand international flights, a 19 per cent increase compared to 2022. Saudia has also registered 382 thousand flight hours in 2023, a 26 per cent increase from 2022.

Domestically, Saudia transported over 13.5 million passengers in 2023, a 7 per cent growth compared to 2022. Moreover, 55 per cent of the total flights operated (96.9 thousand flights) were dedicated to the domestic destinations, accumulating 163 thousand flight hours.

Saudia also inaugurated operations to the Red Sea International Airport in 2023, alongside the launch of several international stations including Beijing, China, Birmingham, the UK, and Johannesburg, South Africa, following its commitment to expanding its global reach across various continents, added the release.

Saudia currently operates flights to over 100 destinations across four continents with a diverse fleet of 142 aircraft.