RIYADH — Saudi Arabian Airlines was among the most punctual airlines in July, according to the report issued by the FlightStats website. It was among the top 10 airlines in a list that included airlines from all continents of the world. The website specializes in aviation, airport information and monitoring the punctuality of flights. It is also concerned with minute details such as the total number of flights and those that arrived on time, Al-Hayat reported Monday. Deputy director general of Saudia Abdulaziz Raheem Al-Hazmi said the website is independent and is concerned with aviation at the world level and the arrival of over 150,000 flights daily in the world. This is in addition to evaluating flight schedules, operational performance, departures and arrivals. He said the month of July came between Shaban 22 and Ramadan 23, a period that witnessed peak levels of travel between the Kingdom and the rest of the world. It was summer vacation season as well as the Umrah season. This was a challenge met by Saudi Arabian Airlines through early planning and field readiness, he said. Over 500 domestic and international flights were operated daily, with punctuality exceeding 90 percent in many cases. Al-Hazmi said these competitive rates reflect the success of the corporation's strategic plans, whether during the peak seasons or throughout the year. He stressed the importance of continuing operational efforts to achieve the required benefits of Saudia joining the SkyTeam international alliance that has 19 airlines worldwide. The exchange of services between the airlines that have joined the alliance have increased. This has reflected positively on achieving a standard of services characterized by comprehensiveness and providing comfort and luxury for passengers on the alliance's airlines anywhere in the world, Al-Hazmi said. The operational performance report and statistics for July 2013 published by the website showed that the scheduled flights for Saudi Arabian Airlines reached 13,941, of which 12,119 were on time. Saudia operates 27 domestic airports and the domestic sector forms 65 percent of the total number of flights.
