General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) said people who visited India, Brazil and Argentina in the last 14 days prior to arrival in the Kingdom will not be allowed to enter except for those with government invitation. The three countries have reported the highest number of positive cases so far, in addition to the US.

Earlier this month, the Kingdom partially lifted its restrictions on international flights. An Interior Ministry official told the media that the Kingdom will scrap all travel restrictions on air, land and sea transport for citizens on January 1, 2021.

Recently, national carrier Saudi Arabia Airlines, commonly known as Saudia, announced the inclusion of a Boeing 747-400F to its cargo fleet, enhancing its logistics capacity. According to the carrier, the new aircraft will boost cargo and supply operations. In addition, it will help to meet the rising demand for medicine and medical equipment in the Kingdom.

Omar Hariri, chief executive officer, Saudia Cargo, told the media, “We have taken practical steps to guarantee the cargo and supply operations smooth continuity to and from the Kingdom ever since the flights, excluding cargo and evacuation, were suspended due to Covid-19.

“Today, flights have been resumed but to a certain degree. Once the new freighter has been put into operation, it will increase the operation and cargo capacity and help the company meet its targets and provide logistic support to deliver urgent medical cargos to the Kingdom in order to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 as part of its continued efforts.”

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“This order will result in flyadeal operating an all-Airbus A320 fleet in the future,” the statement  said. This decision is in response to ensure robust growth in customer demand in domestic, regional, and international routes. The agreement was for a total of 100 aircraft. The allocation of the new aircraft is from the previous agreement with which Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation signed during the Paris Air Show in June this year. 

The press release said that the additional aircraft is part of the Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation’s dual strategy where flyadeal’s focus is on catering to customers seeking low fares. The new Airbus aircraft will be delivered to flyadeal from 2021 according to the new official press release. “We understand that flyadeal will not finalise its commitment to the 737 MAX at this time given the airline’s schedule requirements,” a Boeing spokesperson told Reuters. 

Boeing loses a big order with flyadeal’s change in decision. According to Boeing, the deal included an additional option to purchase 20 more 737 Max aircraft worth $5.9 billion at list prices. Boeing’s market value fell after the two MAX aircraft crashed in Ethiopia and in Indonesia last October. flyadeal was launched on the Kingdom’s national day two years ago. It travels only to domestic destinations within the Kingdom.

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