JEDDAH: Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) is optimistic about reaching its goal of 200 aircraft by the year 2020 and aims to have 100 percent Saudi pilots, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, director general of the airline, said Friday.
Addressing a press conference upon his return to Jeddah after taking the delivery of the new Airbus A330 in France, he said Saudia is expected to receive 25 such aircraft within a few months.
The aircraft is the first of the A330-300 Regional aircraft ordered at the 2015 Paris Airshow and joins Saudia’s existing Airbus fleet.
Elaborating on the pilots issue, which was highlighted by Arab News, Al-Jasser said: “Saudia is training about 3,000 Saudi pilots. They have been sent abroad for the best education and to fulfill the future demand for pilots and copilots.”
Not sure if anyone has told him that its impossible to train 700 line pilots a year
