Mohammed Al-Thibaiti Al-Madinah Nobody denies the miserable state of Saudi Arabian Airlines and the sufferings it inflicts on the Kingdom's population, both Saudis and expatriates. The predicament of passengers with the country's national carrier starts with the non-availability of seats. There are not enough seats on Saudia flights to meet the rising demand from passengers who find themselves obliged to travel by air to reach their destinations in a country the size of a continent. There are no other alternative means of transport, such as trains to reduce the pressure on both the passengers and the carrier. Needless to say, there are few other airlines that fly on domestic routes. People were optimistic when it was announced that the Kingdom would open up its skies to foreign carriers. But they were in for a big surprise: It soon came to light that the foreign carriers would only operate international flights. The contracts signed with these airline companies allowing them to operate in the Kingdom should have stipulated that they fly on domestic routes as well to reduce the mounting pressure on the national carrier. Meanwhile, several successful regional airports have been marginalized lately, increasing the pressure on the country's international airports. This negatively reflected on Saudia, forcing the airline to drastically reduce flights on domestic routes. Saleh Al-Jasser, Saudia's new director general, is taking over at a time when a large number of citizens are complaining about substandard services of the airline. Will Al-Jasser, with his accumulated experience in the field of transportation, be able to improve Saudia's services? This is a big question for which we may not find an easy answer. However, I will give him some ideas that may help him upgrade the airline's performance: • Focus on maintenance. International safety agency reports show the airline is falling behind in this regard. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has withdrawn its confidence certification from airline companies in 18 countries, including Saudi Arabia. EASA said it withdrew its confidence in Saudia not because of the condition of its aircraft, which are fairly new, but because it failed to observe the safety standards for technicians doing the maintenance work. In 2009, Saudia received a strong warning in this regard, which means nothing has been done to correct the situation and the loopholes have been accumulating. • Relaunch domestic flights from all regional airports. The airline should not limit its operations to international airports alone. • End Saudia's monopoly on domestic routes. Through his membership in the board of directors of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), Al-Jasser should make efforts to end Saudia's illogical monopoly of the local aviation market. He should see to it that foreign airline companies are allowed to operate domestic flights. This measure will reduce the pressure on the national carrier. • Give special consideration to members of the frequent flyer program. Holders of Al-Fursan cards, especially the gold cards, should be given distinguished services, such as accommodation in special lounges. • Serve meals to passengers even on short trips. The provision of onboard meals existed until about a year ago when it was stopped as part of austerity measures. • Give special attention to cleanliness of aircraft and maintain accurate schedules.
