Saudia targets post-pandemic profitability, privatization

Saudia targets post-pandemic profitability, privatization

RIYADH: A few minutes into our interview and it was clear that the CEO of Saudia, the Kingdom's state-owned flag carrier, wanted to set the record straight about the aviation sector during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. "Many people believe that since flying has been reduced, we (the airline industry) have just been able to relax and take a breather," said Capt. Ibrahim AlKoshy. "Talking to everybody in the airline industry, it's been one of the busiest times for anyone “¦ We took that challenge as an opportunity to actually come out stronger." The aviation industry has certainly had its challenges. In February, the regional president of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) told Argaam that airlines in Saudi Arabia incurred $9. 6 billion in losses as passenger traffic fell by 70 percent. The latest figures released by IATA earlier this month showed that for Middle Eastern airlines, demand in February 2021 was down 83. 1 percent compared to the same month in 2019. Flights were grounded in the Kingdom in March 2020. While domestic traffic resumed at the end of May last year, and Saudia is gearing up for international flights to restart on May 17, AlKoshy said it