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Saudi Arabian Airlines is the national airline of Saudi Arabia. It is based in Jeddah and operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 70 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. The airline also operates domestic and international charter flights. Its main base is King Abdulaziz International Airport, (JED), Jeddah, with hub at King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh. Saudi Arabian Airlines is also a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization.
Saudi Arabian Airline was founded in 1945 when the US President Franklin Roosevelt gave Douglas DC-3 in gift to the Saudi King Abdul Aziz. Saudi Arabian Airline started operations with a service between Jeddah and Dhahran. The airline started international operations on 10 June 1945, when the route to Damascus was opened. The airline expanded gradually and in 1962 became the first Middle Eastern airline to fly jets when it took delivery of two Boeing 720s The operating name of the airline was changed from Saudi Arabian Airlines to Saudia on April 1, 1972. In 1996, the airline went in for a new corporate identity. The Saudia name was dropped in the identity revamp, and Saudi Arabian Airlines was resurrected. In 200, privatization of the airline was initiated.
Saudi Arabian Airline presently covers 76 destinations across the world. In India Saudi Arabian Airline flies to Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. As on June 2005, the airline had a fleet of 131 aircrafts.