What Aircraft Types Does Saudia Operate Most?

Saudia is the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, and operates a fleet of more than 150 aircraft from its primary hubs at Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) and Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH). Almost 50% of all the airline's flights are operated by the Airbus A320, with the least-used being the Boeing 787. Using data from Cirium , an aviation analytics company, we look at the aircraft types most flown by Saudia in May 2025, their cabin configurations, and the routes they serve.

Airbus A320 Saudia has 37 Airbus A320s in its fleet, and operates two different cabin configurations with a total capacity of either 110 or 114 passengers. The different configurations are outlined in the table below: Aircraft Number in fleet Business class Economy class Total Airbus A320 (v1) 30 12 132 144 Airbus A320 (v2) 7 20 90 110 In May 2025, Saudia has a total of 6,829 flights planned with the Airbus A320, which equates to 963,180 available seats. The average sector length for each of the flights operated by the A320 is just 586 miles, highlighting the importance of this aircraft on Saudia's domestic and regional route network.



That said, Saudia does deploy its low-density Airbus A320s on several longer routes to Europe, including its newly launched service between Neom Bay Airport (NUM) on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast and London Gatwick Airport (LGW). Other routes operated by the carrier's low-density A320s include Riyadh (RUH) - Zurich (ZRH) and Jeddah (JED) - Frankfurt (FRA). Meanwhile, Saudia's higher-capacity A320s operate domestic and regional routes such as Riyadh (RUH) - Jeddah (JED), Riyadh (RUH) - Dammam (DMM), Dammam (DMM) - Neom Bay (NUM), and Jeddah (JED) - Abu Dhabi (AUH).

Twelve routes are operated to Europe. Airbus A321 Saudia has a total of 15 Airbus A321s in its fleet, each with a capacity of up to a maximum of 165 passengers in a two-class configuration - 20 in business class and 145 in economy class. The 20 business class recliner seats are in a 2-2 configuration and feature a seat pitch of 46 inches, while the 145 economy class seats are laid out in a 3-3 configuration, with a generous seat pitch of 32-33 inches.

In May 2025, the Airbus A321 is Saudia's second-most-used aircraft type, operating 3,822 flights. This equates to a total of 656,781 available seats throughout the month. The average sector length of flights operated by Saudia's Airbus A321s in May 2025 is just 583 miles, the shortest of any of the carrier's aircraft types.

Examples of routes operated by Saudia's A321s are shown in the table below: Departure Airport Arrival Airport Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) Dubai International Airport (DXB) Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH) Dammam King Fahd International Airport (DMM) Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH) Amman Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH) Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH) Airbus A330 Saudia has 37 Airbus A330-300s in its fleet, each with a capacity of between 288 and 377 passengers, depending on the configuration. The airline's different cabin configurations found onboard its A330-300s are outlined in the table below: Aircraft Business class Economy class Total Airbus A330-300 (v1) 36 252 288 Airbus A330-300 (v2) 30 300 330 Airbus A330-300 (v3) 12 374 377 In May 2025, Saudia will operate a total of 2,802 flights with its Airbus A330-300s, making it the carrier's third-most-used aircraft type throughout the month. This means that the SkyTeam member airline will have 898,512 available seats on its A330-300s.

The average sector length for flights operated by Saudia's A330-300s in May 2025 is 1,015 miles. Many of Saudia's Airbus A330-300 routes are to and from its hub at Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED), including the likes of Cairo (CAI), Dubai (DXB), Islamabad (ISB), Geneva (GVA), Nairobi (NBO), Peshawar (PEW), and Bengaluru (BLR). Saudia Group is growing its fleet with new widebody orders.

Boeing 777 The Boeing 777-300ER is Saudia's largest aircraft type and the flagship aircraft of the carrier's fleet. Saudia's 37 777-300ERs come equipped with a variety of different cabin configurations. For example, the highest-density version can accommodate up to 492 passengers in a two-class configuration - 14 in business class and 478 in economy class.

Meanwhile, the carrier also operates two 777-300ERs in a VIP configuration with a total capacity of up to 290 passengers - 12 in first class, 36 in business class, and 242 in economy class. In May 2025, Saudia's Boeing 777-300ERs will operate a total of 1,732 flights, making it the airline's fourth-most-used aircraft type throughout the month. The average sector length for flights operated by Saudia's 777-300ERs is 3,009 miles.

Among the routes served by Saudia's Boeing 777-300ERs are: Departure airport Arrival airport Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) Karachi Jinnah International Airport (KHI) Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) London Heathrow Airport (LHR) Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) Jakarta Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK) Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) The codeshare agreement opens up ample connection opportunities for passengers at both ends. Boeing 787 Saudia has a total of 21 Boeing 787s in its fleet, made up of 13 787-9s and eight 787-10s. These aircraft can carry between 298 and 357 passengers, with their configurations outlined in the table below: Aircraft Number in fleet Business class Economy class Total Boeing 787-9 13 24 274 298 Boeing 787-10 8 24 333 357 In May 2025, Saudia will operate 1,299 flights with its Boeing 787s - 881 with the 787-9 and 418 with the 787-10.

The average sector length flown by the two aircraft is 3,248 miles and 3,017 miles, respectively. Among the routes served in May 2025 by Saudia's Boeing 787s are: Departure airport Arrival airport Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) Manchester Airport (MAN) Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH) Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) Neom Bay Airport (NUM) London Heathrow Airport (LHR) Saudia is adding more flights and routes to support Saudi Vision 2023, a program to diversify the economy and promote tourism. Saudia's Future Fleet Saudia's already substantial fleet is set to grow significantly over the coming years, as the carrier has a further 128 aircraft on order, awaiting delivery.

This includes 64 Airbus A321neos and 15 A321XLRs. With its extra-long range and improved operational efficiency, the Airbus A321XLR will likely transform the SkyTeam airline's route map, allowing it to operate previously unviable long, thin routes. It will also free up some of Saudia's existing widebody aircraft to bolster frequencies on or add new high-capacity long-haul routes.

When it comes to future widebody aircraft, Saudia has 49 Boeing 787s on order - 23 787-9s and 26 787-10s. When these aircraft have been delivered, the 787 will become the most common widebody aircraft in Saudia's fleet, surpassing both the Airbus A330 and the Boeing 777. Working Together With Riyadh Air In addition to fleet expansion, another critical factor in Saudia's future is how the carrier will collaborate with Saudi Arabia's new startup airline, Riyadh Air.

The carrier is due to operate its first commercial services later in 2025, and is expected to have a fleet of more than 100 aircraft - Airbus A321neos and Boeing 787s. Both Saudia and Riyadh Air will become joint flag carriers for Saudi Arabia, and it remains to be seen how Saudia will respond to the sudden growth of a rival carrier in its home territory. Riyadh Air recently unveiled its cabin interiors, promising a glitzy and luxurious experience for its passengers: However, it is likely that Saudia will double down on its hub at Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED), while Riyadh Air concentrates on flights to and from its hub at Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH).

Riyadh Air will also likely build up an impressive network of connecting routes, serving as a connecting airline between East and West, much like Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways. Saudia, meanwhile, may well choose to focus instead on point-to-point operations, connecting Saudi Arabia to the world. The massive investments of Saudi Vision 2030 will transform Riyadh into a global hub, but will it ever usurp Dubai?.