The national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, announced the expansion of its fleet with the addition of a new aircraft type, the Airbus A321neo, under the slogan "A new way of flying."

This feeds into SAUDIA’s expansion plans, which benefit Bangladeshi travellers, as the airline aims to add 20 more A321neo aircraft to its fleet by 2026, a press release said.

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Bangladesh travellers will benefit from the A321neo aircraft, a narrow-body airliner part of the A320 family, the world’s most popular single-aisle aircraft family and airlines’ preferred choice around the world due to its reputation for high performance and superior comfort, said the release.

The aircraft offers new levels of performance, seating 180 to 220 passengers in a typical two-class interior layout, which will help with the surge of Bangladeshi travellers during Hajj and tourist season, it said.

The main reason behind the purchase of the aircraft is its ability to run on much less fuel. The A320 family of aircraft has saved 20 million tonnes of CO2 since the A320neo came into service globally in 2016, it also said.

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By incorporating Sharklets, new fuel-efficient engines, and the latest cabin innovations, the A320neo has also seen a 20 percent decrease in fuel burning and CO2 emissions, a 50 percent reduction in noise footprint, a 5 percent lower airframe maintenance costs, and 14 percent lower cash operating costs per seat versus previous generation aircraft. 

Captain Ibrahim Koshy, SAUDIA CEO, said: "We are excited to expand our fleet with the new Airbus A321neo aircraft. Our priority is to offer the best guest experience possible and to bring the world to Saudi Arabia, and we will continue to purchase state-of-the-art aircraft from the world’s top manufacturers to deliver on that promise."

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Koshy added: "We commend Airbus for continuously looking to improve the performance of their aircraft, which goes in line with SAUDIA's ambition to provide the best guest experience possible while contributing to making aviation more sustainable.'"

This partnership highlights the trust and historic relationship between SAUDIA and Airbus. It also feeds into the Saudi Aviation Strategy objective, which aims to turn Saudi Arabia into a leader in the global industry, by enhancing the customer experience, improving safety, and promoting environmental sustainability.