Qatar Airways will take one of the two new licences being granted by the Saudi Arabian civil aviation regulator, GACA, to create a regional carrier operating domestic services in the country.
Announced at the Bahrain International Air Show Jan.17, the regional carrier will be named Al Maha and expects to start flying in the third quarter of this year. This will put it ahead of the second new entrant, Saudi Gulf Airlines – also announced at the show – whose initial Bombardier CS300s are not due to arrive until late 2015. The plan is to grow Al Maha to a fleet of at least 50 aircraft – double the size of Saudi Gulf.
Speaking at the show, Qatar Airways’ CEO, Akbar Al Baker said that Al Maha would be a full-service carrier and have a mix of single- and twin-aisle aircraft, diverted from the parent airline’s outstanding orders from Boeing and Airbus. However, the new airline’s initial batch of around 10 aircraft would be leased, to allow rapid service entry.
Thereafter, 10 to 15 aircraft a year would be added to Al Maha’s fleet. He declined to specify fleet equipment.
Asked if the marketplace was big enough for both the two new players and existing carriers Saudia and FlyNas, he replied: “We think so. If all the carriers are operating efficiently, with very good control of costs, I think there’s room.”
Saudi Arabia has by far the largest potential market of the Gulf nations, with a population of around 28 million.
Al Maha will use Qatar Airways’ existing stylized oryx logo, but in green rather than maroon. Its initial base is likely to be Dammam, but Riyadh and Jeddah are also possibilities. Initial destinations will be those three cities plus Dhahran and two others that Al Baker declined to name.
It will operate domestically as well as to Gulf nations with which Saudi Arabia has traffic rights.
In the past, competitors to national carrier Saudia have complained that Saudi Arabia’s governmental price caps on domestic fares make profits from such services almost impossible. Al Baker said the Saudi authorities had been “very understanding and co-operative” and that a variable cap had been devised.
“For example, if booking a month in advance there will be a price cap, but not for tickets booked 10 days in advance or less.”
Would be interesting to know if they are going to use the non rated FO's,FTSO and NTSO's. Since is a brand new type or if its going to be a new recruitment drive???