RIYADH, OCT 14 – Saudi Arabian airlines are turning to a German firm for electric jets to serve routes to new luxury resorts and the holy city of Mecca, an official said.
The aircraft from Munich-based Lilium will provide direct flights to hard-to-reach routes along the Red Sea coast and bring Muslim pilgrims directly from Jeddah to Mecca, which does not have an airport, Saudia Communications Affairs Manager Razan said. Shaker.
“Our strategy is to help connect locations and cities that do not have an airport or that may be difficult to access,” he told AFP at the logistics forum conference in Riyadh.
The plan includes taking pilgrims to the iconic Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower hotel, near the Grand Mosque, where ‘we are working to build a helipad,’ he added.
In July, Saudia announced that it purchased 50 Lilium Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) jet aircraft with an option to purchase 50 more.
The airline is expected to start taking delivery of Lilium jets, which can seat four to six passengers and fly up to 175 kilometers, in 2026. – AFP
