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Aviation is in the spotlight this morning as Saudi players place orders at London’s Farnborough Airshow, which kicked off yesterday and runs until this Friday. Among the highlights: Reports Flynas and Sami have placed orders and word that regulations for air taxis could be in the works. Here’s the rundown:
#1- Budget carrier Flynas may be looking to order as many as 30 Airbus A330neo aircraft, Reuters reports, citing unnamed sources.
Following in the footsteps of Saudia? National carrier Saudia is set to receive the first deliveries from its USD 19 bn Airbus order in 2026, when it will receive 15-16 aircraft out of the 105 it ordered, Saudia Director General Ibrahim Al Omar said last week.
#2- General Authority for Civil Aviation President Abdulaziz Al Dualeij is leading the Saudi delegation to the event, the authority said on X. Look for a UK-Saudi roundtable on aviation to be on the agenda.
#3- PIF defense manufacturing champion Sami signed agreements with US arms maker Lockheed Martin and Airbus Helicopters, the helicopter manufacturing subsidiary of Airbus) to expand maintenance capacities at home, state news agency SPA reported. The agreement with Lockheed Martin involves certification of a maintenance and service center for the C-130 Hercules heavy transport aircraft. Sami’s centers were also certified for the maintenance of Airbus helicopters.
REMEMBER- The Kingdom has a target of localizing over 50% of its military equipment spending by 2030.
#4- Are eVTOL regulations in the pipeline? Civil aviation regulator Gaca signed an MoU with Germany-based air taxi developer Lilium to develop regulations for air taxis in the Kingdom, SPA said.
BACKGROUND- Saudia Group formalized last week an agreement with Lilium to purchase up to 100 flying air taxis for its private aviation unit. It signed a binding sales agreement for 50 aircraft with the option for up to 50 more. It’s the largest reported firm order yet by an airline that plans to add the aircraft to its fleet. The value of the whole order was estimated at USD 700 mn.
What’s Farnborough?The five-day aviation expo hosts senior airline executives and aircraft manufacturers, showcasing commercial and military aircraft. The event comes as the aviation industry faces multiple challenges, including supply chain snags and delays in delivering aircraft orders.
