Editing Saudia (section)

==History==
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2024}}

===Early years===
[[File:Boeing 707-368C HZ-ACD Saudi LAP 18.05.69 edited-3.jpg|thumb|Saudi Arabian Airlines [[Boeing 707]] in 1969]]
When U.S. President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] presented a [[Douglas DC-3]] as a gift to [[King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud]] in 1945, the event marked the kingdom's gradual development of civil aviation. The nation's [[flag carrier]], Saudia, was founded as Saudi Arabian Airlines in September 1945<ref>{{cite web|title=Economy and Infrastructure|url=http://www.saudiembassy.net/files/PDF/Brochures/DFS_Economy_and_Infrastructure.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524132139/http://www.saudiembassy.net/files/PDF/Brochures/DFS_Economy_and_Infrastructure.pdf |archive-date=2010-05-24 |url-status=live|publisher=Saudi Embassy|access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref> as a fully owned government agency under the control of the Ministry of Defense, with [[Trans World Airlines|Trans World Airlines (TWA)]] running the airline under a management contract.

The now-demolished [[Kandara Airport|Al-Kandara Airport]], close to Jeddah, was the flag carrier's main base. Among the airline's early operations was a special flight from Lydda ([[Lod]]) in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] (today in Israel, site of [[Ben-Gurion International Airport]]), a [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate]] at that time, to carry Hajj pilgrims to Jeddah. The airline used five DC-3 aircraft to launch scheduled operations on the Jeddah-Riyadh-Hofuf-Dhahran route in March 1947. Its first international service was between Jeddah and Cairo. Service to [[Beirut]], [[Karachi]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Events of Interest in Aviation World|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/112368056|access-date=22 January 2021|work=The New York Times|date=15 January 1952|id={{ProQuest|112368056}}}}</ref> and [[Damascus]] followed in early 1948. The first of five [[Bristol 170]]s was received the following year. These aircraft offered the airline the flexibility of carrying both passengers and cargo.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Cross |first=Lee |date=March 14, 2023 |title=3/14/1947: Saudia Takes to the Skies |url= https://airwaysmag.com/saudia-takes-to-the-skies-2/ |magazine=Airways Magazine |location=[[Dallas]] |publisher=Airways Publishing, LLC |access-date=October 8, 2023}}</ref>

In 1962, the airline took delivery of two [[Boeing 720]]s, becoming the fourth Middle Eastern airline to fly jet aircraft after [[Middle East Airlines]] and [[Cyprus Airways]] with the [[de Havilland Comet]] in 1960 and [[El Al]] with the [[Boeing 707]] in 1961.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Commercial_Aviation/ElAl/Tran25.htm|title=Commercial Aviation|website=centennialofflight.gov|access-date=29 May 2017}}</ref> On 19 February 1963, the airline became a registered company, with [[Faisal bin Abdul Aziz|King Faisal of Saudi Arabia]] signing the papers that declared Saudia a fully independent company. [[Douglas DC-6|DC-6]]s and [[Boeing 707]]s were later bought, and the airline joined the AACO, the [[Arab Air Carriers' Organization]]. Services were started to [[Frankfurt Airport|Frankfurt]], [[Geneva]], [[Khartoum]], [[Heathrow Airport|London]], [[Mumbai]], [[Rabat]], [[Sharjah (city)|Sharjah]], [[Tehran]], [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], and [[Tunis]].

[[File:Lockheed L-1011-385-1-15 TriStar 200, Saudia - Saudi Arabian Airlines AN0213092.jpg|thumb|Saudi Arabian Airlines [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]] in 1987]]

In the 1970s, a new livery was introduced. It comprised a white fuselage with green and blue stripes and a green tailfin. The carrier's name was changed to ''Saudia'' on 1 April 1972. [[Boeing 737]]s and [[Fokker F-28]]s were bought, with the 737s replacing the [[Douglas DC-9]]. The airline operated its first [[Boeing 747]] service in 1977 when three jumbo jets were leased from [[Middle East Airlines]] and deployed in the [[Heathrow Airport|London]] sector. The first all-cargo flights between Saudi Arabia and Europe were started, and [[Lockheed L-1011]]s and [[Fairchild Hiller FH-227|Fairchild FH-27]]s were introduced. New services, including the ''Arabian Express'' 'no reservation shuttle flights' between Jeddah and Riyadh. The Special Flight Services (SFS) was set up as a special unit of Saudia and operates special flights for [[Saudi royal family|the royal family]] and government agencies. Service was also started to [[Kano (city)|Kano]], [[Muscat, Oman|Muscat]], [[Paris]], [[Rome]], and [[Stockholm]]. The Pan Am/Saudia joint service between [[Dhahran]] and [[New York City]] began in 1979.<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Mahmoud|first=Marwa |date= October 29, 2022|title= Intercontinental For 77 Years: The History of Saudia Airlines|url= https://www.leaders-mena.com/intercontinental-for-77-years-the-history-of-saudia-airlines/ |magazine= Leaders Mena Magazine|location= |publisher=Leaders |access-date=October 8, 2023}}</ref>

[[File:Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747SP Maiwald.jpg|thumb|A Saudi Arabian Airlines [[Boeing 747SP]] in 1989]]

In the 1980s, services such as Saudia Catering began. Flights were started to [[Amsterdam]], [[Athens]], [[Baghdad]], [[Bangkok]], [[Brussels]], [[Colombo]], [[Dakar]], [[Delhi]], [[Dhaka]], [[Islamabad]], [[Jakarta]], [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Lahore]], [[Madrid]], [[Manila]], [[Mogadishu]], [[Nairobi]], [[New York City]], [[Nice]], [[Seoul]], [[Singapore]], and [[Taipei]]. ''Horizon Class'', a [[business class]] service, was established to offer enhanced service. Cargo hubs were built in Brussels and Taipei. [[Airbus A300]]s, [[Boeing 747]]s, and [[Cessna]] Citations were also added to the fleet, the Citations for the SFS service. On 1 July 1982, the first nonstop service from [[Jeddah]] to [[New York City]] was initiated with Boeing 747SP aircraft. This was followed by a Riyadh-New York route. In 1989, services to [[Larnaca]] and [[Addis Ababa]] began.

[[File:Saudia Boeing 737-200 Davey.jpg|thumb|A Saudi Arabian Airlines [[Boeing 737-200]] in 1995]]

In the 1990s, services to Orlando, Chennai, Asmara, Washington, D.C., Johannesburg, Alexandria, Milan, Málaga (seasonal), and Sana'a (resumption) were introduced. [[Boeing 777]]s, [[MD-90]]s, and [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11|MD-11]]s were introduced. New female [[flight attendant]] uniforms designed by [[Adnan Akbar]] were introduced. A new corporate identity was launched on 16 July 1996, featuring a [[sand]] colored [[fuselage]] with contrasting dark blue tailfin, the center of which featured a stylized representation of the [[House of Saud]] crest. The Saudia name was dropped in the identity revamp, with the full Saudi Arabian Airlines name used.

===Development (2000s–2020s)===
On 8 October 2000, Prince [[Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud]], the Saudi [[Minister of Defense and Aviation]], signed a contract to conduct studies for the [[privatization]] of Saudi Arabian Airlines. In preparation for this, the airline was restructured to allow non-core units—including Saudia catering, [[ground handling services]] and maintenance as well as the [[Prince Sultan Aviation Academy]] in Jeddah—to be transformed into commercial units and profit centers. In April 2005, the Saudi government indicated that the airline may also lose its monopoly on domestic services.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Embraer wins $400m Saudi jet deal|work=BBC News|date=28 March 2006|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4483253.stm|access-date=27 September 2010}}</ref>

In 2006, Saudia began the process of dividing itself into [[Strategic Business Unit]]s (SBU); the catering unit was the first to be privatized.<ref>{{cite web|title=Saudi Air {{sic|Lau|ches|nolink=y}} Privatization With Catering Unit|url=http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1155513143.html|access-date=14 September 2007|archive-date=3 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303171129/http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1155513143.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In August 2007, Saudi Arabia's [[Politics of Saudi Arabia#National government|Council of Ministers]] approved the conversion of strategic units into companies. It is planned that ground services, technical services, [[air cargo]] and the [[Prince Sultan Aviation Academy]], medical division, as well as the catering unit, will become subsidiaries of a holding company.<ref>{{cite web|title=Saudi cabinet okays Saudi Arabian Airlines privatisation|date=29 August 2007 |url=http://www.domain-b.com/aero/Aug/2007/20070829_airlines.htm|access-date=14 September 2007}}</ref>

The airline rebranded to its former brand name ''Saudia'' (used from 1972 to 1996) on 29 May 2012, dropping the Saudi Arabian Airlines branding entirely; the name was changed to celebrate the company's entry into the [[SkyTeam]] airline alliance on that day, and it was part of a larger [[rebranding]] initiative.<ref name="arabianaerospace.aero">{{cite web|url=http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/saudia-plays-the-name-game-joins-the-alliance-and-gets-privatisation-rolling.html |title=Arabian Aerospace{{Snd}} Saudia plays the name game, joins the alliance and gets privatisation rolling|work=Arabian Aerospace|date=29 May 2012|access-date=28 January 2013}}</ref>

Saudia received 64 new aircraft by the end of 2012 (six from [[Boeing]] and 58 from [[Airbus]]). Another eight [[Boeing 787|Boeing 787-9]] aircraft started to join the fleet in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saudiairlines.com/portal/site/saudiairlines/menuitem.d9a467d070ca6c65173ff63dc8f034a0/?vgnextoid=fdab9f6412852110VgnVCM1000008c0f430aRCRD|title=Our Fleet|access-date=24 April 2015}}</ref>
[[File:HZ-AK43 (43663083172).jpg|thumb|A Saudia [[Boeing 777]] decorated in a special livery to commemorate the [[Saudi Arabia national football team]] (nicknamed the 'Green Falcons') in 2018]]
In April 2016, Saudia announced the creation of a [[low-cost carrier|low-cost]] subsidiary named [[Flyadeal]]. The airline was launched as part of Saudia Group's SV 2020 Transformation Strategy, which intends to transform the group's units into world-class organisations by 2020. Flyadeal, which serves domestic and regional destinations, began operating in mid 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hanware |first=Khalil |date=19 April 2016 |title=Flyadeal's launch puts Saudia at higher altitude |url=http://www.arabnews.com/economy/news/912581 |newspaper=[[Arab News]] |location=Jeddah |access-date=20 April 2016}}</ref>

===Continued growth and new brand identity (2020s–present)===
In April 2021, Saudia announced that on 19 April, it will try the mobile app developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that helps passengers manage their travel information and documents digitally.<ref>{{cite web|date=2021-04-13|title=Saudia Airlines to trial IATA travel pass on flights from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah|url=https://arab.news/wwzpu|access-date=2021-04-13|website=Arab News|language=en}}</ref>

In December 2021, Saudia was in talks with the two major aircraft manufacturers [[Airbus]] and [[Boeing]] in purchasing new wide-body aircraft, the airline will decide in early 2022 whether it will order the [[Airbus A350]] or the [[Boeing 777X]], or it might purchase more [[Boeing 787 Dreamliner|Boeing 787s]] instead. The airline also chose the [[CFM International LEAP]] engine to power its [[Airbus A321neo|Airbus A321neos]] which are expected to be delivered in 2024. The airline plans to have 250 planes in its fleet by 2030.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fattah |first=Zainab |date= November 15, 2021|title=Saudia Weighs Bumper Jetliner Order to Reach 250-Strong Fleet |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-15/saudia-planning-bumper-jetliner-order-to-reach-250-strong-fleet#xj4y7vzkg |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |location= |access-date=October 8, 2023}}</ref>

In April 2022, services began to [[Seoul]], [[Beijing]], [[Batumi]], [[Mykonos]], [[Barcelona]], [[Málaga]], [[Bangkok]], [[Chicago]], [[Moscow]], [[Entebbe]] and [[Kyiv]]. Services to Kyiv are currently not operating due to the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]]. In June 2022, they resumed services to [[Zürich]]. In July 2022, Saudia signed a contract with the Air Connectivity Programme to launch four new destinations to Zürich, [[Barcelona]], [[Tunis]] and [[Kuala Lumpur]].

In March 2023, Saudia ordered 39 [[Boeing 787 Dreamliner|Boeing 787s]] split between the -9 and -10 variants, with options for a further ten aircraft.
[[file:Saudia Boeing 787 arriving at Birmingham-BHX January 2024.jpg|thumb|A Saudia [[Boeing 787-10]] in 2024 in the newest livery]]
In September 2023, Saudia announced a brand and livery rebrand back to the 1970s design and logo. It also introduced a new travel AI assistant called "SAUDIA", using [[OpenAI|Open AI's]] [[GPT-4]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=This is how we fly |url=https://www.saudia.com/en-SA/thisishowwefly |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=www.saudia.com}}</ref>

In January 2025, Saudia announced that the airline will be relocating its [[London]] to [[Neom Bay Airport|Neom]] route from [[Heathrow Airport|Heathrow]] to [[Gatwick Airport|Gatwick]]. The Heathrow route utilized larger [[Boeing 787 Dreamliner|Boeing 787-9]] aircraft whereas Gatwick enables the airline to introduce smaller [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320]] aircraft, thus aligning capacity with demand and optimizing the airline's operational efficiency.<ref>{{Cite web |title=News for Airlines, Airports and the Aviation Industry {{!}} CAPA |url=https://centreforaviation.com/news/saudia-to-relocate-neom-bay-london-heathrow-service-to-london-gatwick-from-mar-2025-1298390 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=centreforaviation.com}}</ref>