KARACHI: SaudiGulf Airlines, the new full-service national carrier of Saudi Arabia owned by Mr. Abdulhadi Al Qahtani and Sons Holding Company (Tariq Al Qahtani and Brothers) has announced to expand its operations to four destinations in Pakistan as part of its international route expansion programme.
The announcement came during the SaudiGulf Airline’s participation in the Pakistan Travel Mart (PTM) 2018, in Karachi where the airline put up an impressive show.
Emphasizing on the pivotal role of travel trade to maintain the brotherly relationships between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, SaudiGulf Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Karim Makhlouf said the airline was going to initiate operations from October 15 to four major cities in Pakistan (Lahore, Islamabad, Sialkot & Karachi) and connect them with the kingdom’s cities of Dammam, Jeddah, Abha and Riyadh.
“We are pleased to announce our next international routes expansion programme starting with four destinations in Pakistan from Dammam, SaudiGulf Airline’s main base in Saudia Arabia. Through our hub in Dammam, we will connect passengers from Pakistan across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Jeddah, Abha and Riyadh,” he added.
According to details, the full-service airline will operate its Airbus A320 aircrafts to/from Pakistan in two class configurations i.e. business and economy class. It will commence direct flights from Dammam to Lahore and Islamabad with a frequency of four flights per week, besides three flights per week connecting Dammam with Sialkot and Karachi.
Utilizing King Fahd International Airport in Dammam as the hub of its operations, SaudiGulf airlines will offer the highest number of flights between the eastern province of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Furthermore, the routes shall also be utilized to carry passengers from the above-mentioned destinations in Pakistan to the holy city of Mecca.
It has been learned that this strategic decision was taken by the SaudiGulf Airlines in line with the Saudi Vision 2030, which includes growth expansion in the kingdom’s infrastructural projects that would ultimately contribute towards the ease of travel between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
SaudiGulf Airlines will be represented by the largest general sales agent (GSA) network in Pakistan, Gerry’s Group.
“This partnership is a testament of SaudiGulf Airlines’ intention 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,” Karim Makhlouf said.
