A FIRST IN AVIATION HISTORY AS FOUR NEW AIRCRAFT ARE DELIVERED IN ONE DAY TO DOHA •

Al Maha Airways receives its first four A320 aircraft from Airbus and joins them to the Qatar Airways fleet

DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways Group has set a new industry record, with the delivery of four new Al Maha aircraft to Doha in just one day, from aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
The new A320 aircraft were inaugurated at a signing ceremony at the Airbus Delivery Centre in Toulouse, between Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Chairman of Al Maha Airways, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker and Airbus CEO, Mr. Fabrice Brégier.
The four latest generation A320 aircraft, which carry the green Al Maha livery, will join the Qatar Airways' fleet and operate on the airline's key destinations across the Middle East, prior to the commencement of operations of Al Maha Airways. The new airline, which will be an independent airline based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will operate an expanding fleet of aircraft, featuring the distinctive and familiar Oryx livery.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Chairman of Al Maha Airways, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “It is a moment of significant pride to be welcoming the first aircraft of the new Al Maha Airways fleet, let alone four such aircraft in the same day. Featuring the distinctive new livery of Al Maha Airways, these new A320 aircraft will offer passengers the opportunity to travel on board the latest and most modern aircraft in the skies.”
The first four Al Maha Airways A320 aircraft.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Chairman of Al Maha Airways, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, and Airbus CEO, Mr. Fabrice Brégier, at the handover ceremony.
Qatar Airways has one of the world's youngest fleets and continues to invest in next generation aircraft. These four new A320 aircraft, one of the world’s most popular product types, feature the latest technology and distinctive Sharklet wingtips, and while leased to Qatar Airways will take the airline’s fleet count to 156 aircraft.
The new aircraft arrive after a period of significant fleet growth for Qatar Airways, which recently took delivery of the first in its fleet of A380 aircraft and the A350 XWB as Global Launch Customer. Qatar Airways is the first airline in the world to operate every family of Airbus’ modern airliner portfolio, comprising the A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380 aircraft.

Qatar Airways' Saudi start-up, Al Maha Airways, to launch "soon"

 

Al Maha Airways is set to begin operating domestic Saudi Arabian services "shortly" a report in Qatar's Al-Sharq newspaper has claimed. The paper claims the Qatar Airways-backed start-up will initially use a fleet of nine A320-200 aircraft for operations which will be limited to flights between Jeddah and Riyadh initially before branching off into the Kingdom's second-tier cities.

It is currently unknown whether or not Al Maha has secured its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) though Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al Baker did state in June that the carrier was well advanced in its certification with the Saudi authorities.

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed Al Maha was on track for a November launch.

Concerns over the project's future were raised in March this year when relations between Qatar and fellow Gulf states Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, soured over mounting frustration at Doha’s support of the Muslim Brotherhood; an organization the Saudis and the UAE have labelled as “terrorist”.

Another start-up, the Al Qahtani Aviation Company's Saudi Gulf Airlines, is also due to make its debut later this year with four A320-200s on order from Airbus Industrie due for delivery early next year.
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