NEOM, saudi arabia's future gigacity, to launch its own airline in 2024

introducing Neom Airlines

NEOM, the famed Saudi Arabian mega-city development, has announced plans to launch its own airline, which is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2024. The airline will allow all tourists, residents, and business partners to travel to and from NEOM, taking a ‘holistic’ and ‘connected’ approach. The airline will initially upgrade existing equipment and technology but plans to invest in next-generation electric, hydrogen, or supersonic aircraft starting in 2026 to provide a sustainable, immersive, and digitally enhanced flying experience.

For those who are not up to date: NEOM is an ambitious ‘city of the future’ planned for Saudi Arabia and led by the nation’s crown prince and prime minister, Mohammed Bin Salman. The ‘giga-city’ will include four ‘megacities’ named Sindalah, Trojena, Oxagon and the LINE. These large-scale projects are expected to ‘reimagine urban living’ by incorporating smart city technologies and futuristic planning. NEOM is expected to cover a total area of 26,500 square kilometers (10,200 square miles), parts of which are already under construction.

all images courtesy of NEOM

NEOM Airlines will start operations from the existing NEOM Bay Airport, which opened in 2019 and offers domestic flights in Saudi Arabia and international flights to London and Dubai. The airline will relocate at a later date to NEOM International Airport, which is under construction. 

NEOM Airlines aims to ensure that every flight is operated with sustainable fuel on board, sourced from its mixing facilities. .The planned airline will review every single component to ensure sustainability, down to the carpets and single-use plastics. The airline’s sustainability ethos extends to its catering, with NEOM’s food sourced locally and delivered via on-demand dining. The airline ultimately wants to improve every single touch point in order to provide a next-level technological-focused experience, while there are also plans to introduce biometric facial recognition, replace departure gates and eliminate visa requirements.

via gulf business