RIA Saudi Airlines?

[Captain Spam Can]

I was thinking the same VAMY reference Saudia Airlines, I saw last week they are recruiting but others have said there’s been no expat recruitment and it’s just been continuously advertised for some time. It’s got to be a commutable contract for me which I don’t think Saudia is I might ask though. Really keeping an eye on Riyadh though if the moneys also real.

Nice roster by the way, you won’t recognise this industry now.

[JG1]

The only serious reservation I have about all this is that RIA will need hundreds of aircraft but haven't ordered them yet. And there is what, a 7, 8 year lead time?

[mutt]

If they’re operating & recruiting for A340’s for their mainline operations it may be due to a passenger capacity bottleneck.

Naw, no bottle neck, the mainline also recruits for the Royal Fleet, but no foreigners are getting near those aircraft.

​​​​​​​Not sure about the money or T’s & C’s there these days since my tenure came to an end.

Consultants can be the bane of employees, they got them to change from a credit time “golden goose” scheme to industry best practices methodologies. Pure block time, no credit, so a 30-40% pay cut for wide body guys.

And now to put the cat amongst the pigeons, PIF are in talks to acquire Saudi Arabian before the end of 2024, with additional talks to merge with Riyadh Air, which considering it doesn’t exist would mean that it won’t exist.

[VAMY]

Originally Posted by mutt

Naw, no bottle neck, the mainline also recruits for the Royal Fleet, but no foreigners are getting near those aircraft.

Consultants can be the bane of employees, they got them to change from a credit time “golden goose” scheme to industry best practices methodologies. Pure block time, no credit, so a 30-40% pay cut for wide body guys.

And now to put the cat amongst the pigeons, PIF are in talks to acquire Saudi Arabian before the end of 2024, with additional talks to merge with Riyadh Air, which considering it doesn’t exist would mean that it won’t exist.

Hi Mutt,

long time, no read. How’s it going for you these days? Sounds like you’re still over there in the Kingdom?

Thanks for the “skinny” on the supposed Saudi Mainline A340’s and so called re-recruit of expat Captains. I’d heard that Saudia had one or two returning expat captains from SRA back onto the mainline B777/B787 fleets. I haven’t been able to substantiate if that rumour is true or not.

As for the A340 recruitment. I suppose, as an outside guess, the A340 recruitment might be for those couple of A340’s MBS might’ve squirrelled away since his “purge on corruption” from a few years ago? Come to think of it. The private B747-400 operated by Kingdom Holdings for HRH Prince al Waleed doesn’t seem to venture out of the Kingdom much these day either?

[VAMY]

Originally Posted by JG1

The only serious reservation I have about all this is that RIA will need hundreds of aircraft but haven't ordered them yet. And there is what, a 7, 8 year lead time?

Oh I believe they’ll get the aircraft if they need them. It hasn’t stopped them in the past.

Then there’s always the possibility that they might inherit them from one of the ME3 when one of them begins to flounder. There’s not enough transit traffic over there in the Western Persian Gulf for all three of those carriers to prosper. One of them will likely begin to flounder over the next few years.

[Airmann]

Originally Posted by VAMY

There’s not enough transit traffic over there in the Western Persian Gulf for all three of those carriers to prosper. One of them will likely begin to flounder over the next few years.

And what no one seems to be taking about is the capacity restriction on most airspace/airways in most parts of the Middle East. Trying to cross the Indian Ocean at your planned FL is becoming almost impossible. Add to that fact that Air India and Indigo have a combined 1000+ planes on order and you're left wondering which part of the sky RIA is going to fit these machines into?

[mutt]

VAMY these A340’s joined the fleet years ago, one directly and the other from the Washington Embassy. But as there is a security clearance required to fly them, they won’t seek foreigners.
WBT is active on Instagram these days and his 747 is flying footballers around the place operated by Skyprime and flown by an ex-Saudia crew.
MBS’s invitation to the Ritz resulted in a more than gathering some aircraft, it’s rather impressive to see how much land was reclaimed and how this is being used for the population. Use google maps to look at the old water plant as an example.

[mutt]

Airmann you could also ask where they plan to park them.

[VAMY]

Originally Posted by mutt

VAMY these A340’s joined the fleet years ago, one directly and the other from the Washington Embassy. But as there is a security clearance required to fly them, they won’t seek foreigners.
WBT is active on Instagram these days and his 747 is flying footballers around the place operated by Skyprime and flown by an ex-Saudia crew.
MBS’s invitation to the Ritz resulted in a more than gathering some aircraft, it’s rather impressive to see how much land was reclaimed and how this is being used for the population. Use google maps to look at the old water plant as an example.

Hi Mutt,

Thanks for the info that WBT’s B747-400 is now being operated by Skyprime. What happened to the expat flight crew team that used to operate it?

Are Skyprime also operating that A340-600 that used to be operated by King Salman’s Brother, former Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Nayef?

What about the couple of private B777’s that used to be operated in & out of the Kingdom? I believe the Governor of The Eastern Provinces used to operate one and one of the sons of the former King Abdullah used to operate another-the one that had the wing tip scrape going into Le Bourget a few years ago? Are those private B777’s still being operated?

Good to hear that MBS’s seizure of some of the ill gotten gains are benefitting the population. I had heard on the rumour mill that changes over there are significant and rapid.

[VAMY]

Originally Posted by mutt

Airmann you could also ask where they plan to park them.

Maybe on the planned new Riyadh Airport?

[mutt]

@VAMY initial guy, DG left and I last heard that he was flying a BBJ.

Skyprime has a couple of A340’s, and now also have that Dammam B777. The other 777 was scheduled to depart Jeddah about years ago, if never left nor did its owner.

What new airport ? There won’t be anything available by 2025 when they start to get their aircraft.

[VAMY]

Originally Posted by mutt

@VAMY initial guy, DG left and I last heard that he was flying a BBJ.

Hi Mutt,

Skyprime has a couple of A340’s, and now also have that Dammam B777. The other 777 was scheduled to depart Jeddah about years ago, if never left nor did its owner.

What new airport ? There won’t be anything available by 2025 when they start to get their aircraft.

Thanks for the info on DG, Skyprime’s A340’s & B777. The other B777, that used to be operated by Prince Faisal bin Abdullah (King Abdullah’s son), is it just sitting there somewhere in the Kingdom? Jeddah perhaps?

The new airport I was loosely referring to is the planned King Salman International Airport (KSIA). Apparently it’s one of the cornerstones of MBS’s & the Kingdom’s economic regeneration & diversification strategy away from its reliance on a petroleum based economy. Obviously, KSIA won’t be ready by 2025, when RIA’s anticipated aircraft orders are planned to start to arrive but should be by 2030-which should be time enough for when RIA begins to move into its stride..

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/w...en%20by%202030.

https://www.internationalairportrevi...ional-airport/

[mutt]

@VAMY That 777 is parked outside the Hajj terminal in Jeddah, at this stage i would expect it to be moved to the airport scrap yard. But it wasn’t operated by that named person, it was a son of King Fahd.

The new airport is years away and will be built on the site of the present airport. But it will take years to get a new terminal into operation and RIA are expected to launch in 2025. Right now a large number of domestic flights depart from remote gates due to lack of terminal connected gates, the place is packed.

[VAMY]

Originally Posted by mutt

@VAMY That 777 is parked outside the Hajj terminal in Jeddah, at this stage i would expect it to be moved to the airport scrap yard. But it wasn’t operated by that named person, it was a son of King Fahd.

The new airport is years away and will be built on the site of the present airport. But it will take years to get a new terminal into operation and RIA are expected to launch in 2025. Right now a large number of domestic flights depart from remote gates due to lack of terminal connected gates, the place is packed.

Hi Mutt,

Thanks for the info on the B777. I believe it’s the same aircraft I’m talking about. It seems I got my ex Saudi Kings & their male offspring in an incorrect order. I just checked and it is indeed the offspring of King Fahd, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Fahd, that I’m referring to.

Anyway, it’s the same B777 that dragged its wingtip on approach in Paris, Le Bourget a few years ago.

[mutt]

Bloomberg is reporting that Saudia will move out of Riyadh to give room for RIA, guess that answers my question.

[Zoogo]

Pilot career center salary scales

Hi guys,
Does anyone know if the salary scales posted on pilot career center are accurate?
Seems decent for a 14/14, if it lasts...

[corporal klinger]

You guys are discussing rosters and pay of an airline that doesn't exist, with aircraft that aren't even build yet. At the airport zero construction has begun, nothing. The "tourist destination" Saudia has not build a single of those new fancy hotels, no resorts, no futuristic dream city, nothing. No visitor has ever had a pint in a bar or glass of wine in a restaurant . No woman ever had a swim in a mixed public pool. Mekka is banned for any Westerner. If a local posts the wrong tweet they will cut his or her head off. With a sword, like in Game of Thrones.

Just saying.

[Hotclown]

Originally Posted by corporal klinger

You guys are discussing rosters and pay of an airline that doesn't exist, with aircraft that aren't even build yet. At the airport zero construction has begun, nothing. The "tourist destination" Saudia has not build a single of those new fancy hotels, no resorts, no futuristic dream city, nothing. No visitor has ever had a pint in a bar or glass of wine in a restaurant . No woman ever had a swim in a mixed public pool. Mekka is banned for any Westerner. If a local posts the wrong tweet they will cut his or her head off. With a sword, like in Game of Thrones.

Just saying.

ok, all aside from nonsense but what do Westerners have to do with Makkah? people go there for religious practises not for leisure, we all know if you believe in their belief you are free to visit regardless of your nationality.

seriously every day I believe that pilots are more stupid than people with regular jobs

[Raph737]

Originally Posted by Hotclown

ok, all aside from nonsense but what do Westerners have to do with Makkah? people go there for religious practises not for leisure, we all know if you believe in their belief you are free to visit regardless of your nationality.

seriously every day I believe that pilots are more stupid than people with regular jobs

You both have a point. People asking or discussing info
on thing that don’t exist is stupid, because you are right, pilots are just that.

[corporal klinger]

I mentioned the fact that non-muslims are not allowed to visit Mecca to prove my point: that in Saudia you have an ultra-conservative religious mindset on one side, and ambitious plans to open up to infidels on the other. Now, if you carefully re-read my statement, I did not make predictions. I simply attempted to highlight the opposing cultural forces and possible , tiny little implications when attracting the average Brit or Aussie on hols ( no offence). And maybe the small detail that all the plans concerning RIA are, well, just plans.

Now, I don't not know why you decided to call me stupid as a consequence, I can only speculate. Maybe you thought I see Mecca as an essential tourist destination ( I do not, but it certainly could be, look at other religious cities in the world). Maybe you discharge the rest of my statements as 'nonsense" because you never been to Saudi ? ( I have, multiple times). Or is it possible that you don't know the local rules, you don't know the current state of development, you don't know about very recent capital punishment for a social media post?

As I said I can only speculate, but you can't insult me, I am pretty confident I got all the facts right (maybe because of my tertiary education, although I think in this case common sense would have been sufficient, wouldn't it?)

You are free to prove your point and specify what exactly is "nonsense" or "stupid" in my statement, but I have a feeling you won't.


https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/29/...d-death-tweets