According to NEOM’s website, NEOM Airlines is set to commence operations by the end of Q4 2024, as stated by its CEO Klaus Goersch.
The airline is dedicated to facilitating travel for various categories of individuals, including tourists, residents, and commercial partners, to and from NEOM. NEOM Airlines will be considered an extension of the NEOM project, encompassing the place, the company, and 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,” says Goersch, a former chief operating officer of British Airways and Air Canada.
“NEOM’s resorts will be going live in early 2024, so we need to service that demand quickly, initially retrofitting existing aircraft with existing technology. But come 2026 onwards, there will be new innovative aircraft – whether it be electric, hydrogen-powered or supersonic – and next-generation interiors coming online from us. We are already in discussions with plane, interior and seat manufacturers,” he says .
Initially, NEOM Airlines will operate flights from NEOM Bay Airport, which is currently operational and hosts Saudia flights both domestically and internationally, including destinations such as London and Dubai.
Subsequently, the airline plans to expand its operations to NEOM International Airport.
NEOM Airlines and the associated airport infrastructure will be built from the ground up, incorporating the lessons learned from the past and leveraging advanced technologies such as biometrics and artificial intelligence.