Beginning the following year, NEOM Airlines will offer supersonic travel, biometric check-ins, and on-board gaming. The aviation executive, under the direction of former BA top boss Klaus Goersch, believes NEOM Airlines will accomplish for the city what Emirates Airline did for Dubai.
This year, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia also unveiled Riyadh Air, another national carrier.
Prior to transferring to the soon-to-be-built Neom International Airport, operations will start at the NEOM Bay Airport, which is currently operational.
Goersch asserted that in terms of connectivity, “we have a global aviation hub on our hands,” with NEOM Airlines aiming to expand throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East.
Looking to do away with carrying luggage yourself, applying for a visa and other “trials and tribulations of air travel,” Goersch likened the NEOM Airlines experience more to private aviation and being “in the 1 percent club.”
He went on: “Just imagine if your bags were collected from your home or office and delivered to the hotel or residence you were going to,” said Goersch. “Imagine if biometrics were advanced enough to recognise you via facial recognition as soon as you walked in a building, security clearing you for travel without the need for even going through a gate – let alone having to bother with a visa.”
Goersch said that the upcoming airline will look to redefine in-flight entertainment with 6G Wi-Fi, large screens at every seat, in-seat gaming and chat technology incorporated on aircraft.
“This new future is what we are building in the North West of Saudi Arabia,” said Goersch.
“The goal is to make the traveller journey as seamless as possible. Due to the fact we are building a new destination, new airports and a new airline all at the same time – there is a sense that we can achieve this to a level that just has not been seen before.”
In terms of what the airline will do for the US$500bn super-city, he said: “The airline will be an extension of NEOM: The place, the company, the vision. We are there to enable the destination. Our goal is a holistic and interconnected approach, with NEOM Airlines enabling the gross domestic product of NEOM.
“Without Emirates, for example, there wouldn’t be a Dubai right? Be ready for a completely different travel experience.”
Emirates Airline president Sir Tim Clark has spoken about the rising number of airline carriers in Saudi Arabia.“Emirates fears nobody,” says Clark, mentioning Saudia and the upcoming NEOM Airlines and Riyadh Air. He was speaking at Arabian Travel Market, where he wished the Saudi airlines well but said Emirates’ success “was no accident”.
He added “We’re flattering those airlines are using Emirates as the airline they aspire to compare to. But building Emirates was no accident, we had to grow this business. We had laser-focus on the structure of each major element of the business. Emirates has never been distracted by anything getting in the way of just getting the job done.“If they are going to try to emulate that, I wish them very well, but you have to make money at the same time.”
