Heralding a new era in the national travel industry, the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) awarded National Air Services (NAS) today the license to become the first national air transport company to operate scheduled flights from the capital Riyadh to all domestic destinations.
NAS’s CEO and senior management team reiterated the company’s commitment to provide the Saudi travel market with world class services and announced today that the company will adopt the low cost carrier (LCC) model for its new airline, hence delivering more choices, value for money and convenience to the kingdom's traveling community.
NAS' budget airliner is scheduled to start its operations in early 2007 with five aircraft as its initial fleet. The fleet size is expected to reach 18 aircraft by 2010. Initially, NAS' LCC flights will cover 22 Saudi cities during the first year of operation and will accomplish its goal of covering its 37 domestic routes by the end of 2008.
Lauding the aviation authorities for their efforts to deregulate the national aviation sector and their confidence in the company's capabilities, Mr. Taher Agueel, NAS's newly appointed CEO, said that GACA’s evaluation process of all applicants set new world class standards in terms of efficiency, transparency and professionalism. The CEO underlined the firm commitment of NAS team to provide commercial services benchmarked to world class standards.
The passenger will be the ultimate beneficiary of the Kingdom’s liberalization of the civil aviation sector and NAS’s new low-frills carrier which will promote a new travel culture in the Kingdom.
About NAS
Since its establishment in 1999 by a group of Saudi investors, National Air Services (NAS) has become the leading provider of aviation services in the Middle East.
Based in Riyadh, NAS provides its vast array of customers in the region with complete and innovative aviation services. Currently, NAS has a work force of 700 employees drawn from 37 nationalities, with Saudis comprising 45 percent of its work force.
The products and services offered include NetJets Middle East (fractional aircraft ownership & lease), Al Khayala Airlines which targets business and first class travelers, Aircraft Management Services, Aircraft Charter Services, other unique aviation solutions and soon a commercial no-frills carrier.
NAS has the fastest growing private aviation fleet in the Middle East currently comprising more than 33 aircrafts under management from global manufacturers, which include Airbus, Boeing, Gulfstream, Dassault and Raytheon.
