SaudiGulf Airlines, a new national carrier of Saudi Arabia, has announced the start of its operations to four destinations in Pakistan as part of its international route expansion programme from March 1, 2018. Emphasizing on the pivotal role of travel trade in maintaining the relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Saudi Gulf Airlines is initiating operations to four major cities in Pakistan including Lahore, Islamabad, Sialkot and Peshawar from March 1, 2018, said Karim Makhlouf, Chief Commercial Officer, while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.
"We are pleased to announce our 2018 international routes expansion starting with four destinations in Pakistan from Dammam, SaudiGulf Airline's main base in Saudia Arabia. This route will connect passengers from Pakistan across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through King Fahd International Airport in Dammam," said Karim Makhlouf. The airline will operate its Airbus A320 aircraft to Pakistan offering leather seats in both compartments, business and economy class. It will commence direct flights from Dammam to Lahore and Islamabad with a frequency of four flights per week as well as three flights per week connecting Dammam with Sialkot and Peshawar. Potential future destinations from Pakistan include Karachi, Multan and Faisalabad.
The airline started with four brand new A320-200 in end of 2016, additional two A320 will be operational by February 2018 while 22 additional aircraft will join the fleet gradually by 2020, the official announced. The airline is operating in two class configuration (business/economy) with the latest leather seats, IFE and WiFi technology onboard.
Utilizing King Fahd International Airport in Dammam as the hub of its operations, SaudiGulf Airlines will be the first Saudi carrier to operate direct flights between the eastern providence of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. This strategic decision was taken by SaudiGulf Airlines aligned with the Saudi Vision 2030 to support the expanding growth in infrastructure projects in the Kingdom which will ultimately contribute to ease of travel for passengers between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Furthermore, the routes shall be utilized to carry passengers from the mentioned destinations in Pakistan across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Connections mainly include Jeddah and Madina dedicated to carry Hajj and Umrah passengers.
The decision made by SaudiGulf Airlines will provide convenience of travel from and to the holy sites in Makkah and Madina as part of its religious contribution as a new national carrier. "We are pleased to add new flights to cater to the growing demand of Umrah and Hajj traffic out of Pakistan, while also providing passengers with convenient connections via Dammam," Said Karim Makhlouf. Starting operations on the 1st of March 2018, the fares are to start from Rs 12,000 and include free seat selection, hot meals, and in-flight entertainment services as well as personalized customer service.
SaudiGulf Airlines will be represented by the largest GSA network in Pakistan, Gerry's Group. This partnership is a testament of SaudiGulf Airlines' intensions to capture a significant market share in Pakistan. "We have decided to partner and cooperate with Gerry's Group for its well-known efforts as a general sales agent with more than 50 years of experience in this field," said Karim Makhlouf.
"The induction of SaudiGulf Airlines as a direct Saudi carrier initiating operations to Pakistan will significantly add value to the travel trade industry of Pakistan and testifies to growing travel demand across the country," said Arshad Wali Muhammad, Gerry's Group Director.
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