RIYADH – Prince Sultan Bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), on Sunday discussed with airline officials and tourism industry executives coordinated efforts to increase the capacity of domestic flights during summer vacation. The officials who attended the meeting included Khaled Al-Molhem, director general of Saudi Arabian Airlines, and Bandar Al-Mihna, deputy executive president of nasair, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The meeting discussed ways to cope with the anticipated increase in the number of domestic travellers during the summer months, as well as the inadequate number of airline seats to facilitate the movement of people wishing to vacation in various Saudi cities and tourist destinations. Prince Sultan underlined the need for increasing the frequency of domestic flights keeping pace with the national tourism programs. “This would help develop the nation's economy as well as create job opportunities for Saudis in various regions of the Kingdom,” he said. “National carriers are the basic partners in supporting domestic tourism. New airport projects, the addition of more aircraft to the fleet of Saudi Arabian Airlines and the entry of more airline companies into the local market would all contribute to improving the services and increasing the frequency of flights next year.” According to the SCTA chief, a Cabinet's decision to work out a comprehensive program to improve the condition of gas stations and renovate public utilities along the highways will increase the number of road users and thus reduce the pressure on the domestic aviation sector. The meeting also discussed development of services related to introducing an integrated system that links Umrah pilgrimage with domestic tourism, in addition to developing tourism programs for expatriates. The officials also reviewed developing specialized weekend tourism programs in conjunction with tour operators and national aviation companies, besides improving the specialized program for field trips for students with the theme “Know Your Nation.” The program will be organized by the SCTA with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education, airline companies, tour operators and SCTA's partners in various regions. Al-Molhem said Saudia was prepared to cope with the increasing demand during the summer season. “The national carrier has increased its fleet to 65 aircraft in the last three years and it can meet the increased demand for domestic services in the summer season,” he added.
