Author name: Aviation World

As Saudi Arabia accelerates its push to become a premier global aviation hub under Vision 2030, the strategic steering of its commercial engine is crucial. In this exclusive interview with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World, Arved von zur Muehlen, Chief Commercial Officer of Saudia Group reflects on the operational and strategic shifts redefining the region. From scaling international connections and boosting religious and leisure tourism to managing capacity in an evolving competitive landscape, he provides an insider’s view on driving long-term commercial transformation. Excerpts:  AW: With Saudi Arabia’s National Aviation Strategy targeting 330 million annual passengers by 2030, how is Saudia scaling its fleet, network, and bilateral partnerships, particularly in high-growth sectors like India? A: Saudia’s growth plans are closely aligned with the ambitions of the Saudi Aviation Strategy and the wider objectives of Vision 2030. Our focus is on expanding capacity in a disciplined way, strengthening international connectivity, and building partnerships that extend the reach of our network. Today, Saudia operates 153 aircraft across more than 100 destinations on four continents, and we expect the fleet to reach 216 aircraft and the network to grow to 145 destinations by 2030. This expansion gives us greater flexibility to increase frequencies in high-demand markets and pursue new international opportunities. India is an important part of that strategy. It is already one of Saudia’s largest and most diverse international markets, with demand spanning Hajj and Umrah, business, leisure, employment and family travel. As economic and tourism ties between the two countries continue to grow, we see considerable opportunity to strengthen direct connectivity while also connecting Indian guests through Saudi Arabia to our wider international network. AW:Following Saudia Group and Air India’s strategic MoU on code sharing and loyalty integration, how will this partnership reshape aviation dynamics and passenger experience between Saudi Arabia and India? A: The codeshare significantly expands connectivity between Saudi Arabia and India by combining the strengths of both networks. Saudia guests can connect through Delhi and Mumbai to key destinations across India, while Air India guests arriving in Jeddah or Riyadh gain access to Saudia’s domestic network, including cities such as Dammam, Madinah, Abha and Taif. For our guests, this provides greater choice and a simpler journey, with flights booked under a single itinerary and baggage checked through to the final destination. lt also strengthens our ability to serve the growing movement between the two countries across religious travel, business, tourism and family travel. Looking ahead, the wider cooperation creates opportunities to expand codeshare connectivity further and explore additional benefits through the airlines’ loyalty programs. AW:Beyond core religious travel, how is Saudia scaling it to capture the surging demand from Indian leisure, MICE, and business travellers? A: India is one of Saudia’s key international markets, with strong Hajj and Umrah demand complemented by growing leisure, business and MICE travel.Saudi Arabia’s expanding tourism and events offering is broadening the reasons for Indian travellers to visit the Kingdom, from leisure destinations such as AlUla and Abha to business and major events in Riyadh and Jeddah. We are responding to this broader demand by strengthening our engagement with the Indian travel trade, corporate partners and digital platforms, ensuring our offering continues to reflect the different needs of the market. AW: How does the Saudia Group plan to leverage its dual-brand model—deploying both full-service Saudia and low-cost carrier flyadeal—to expand its network into India’s rapidly growing tier-2 & 3 cities? A: Saudia Group’s dual-brand model gives us greater flexibility in how we approach a large and diverse market like India, with Saudia and flyadeal serving different travel needs through distinct operating models. As international demand develops beyond India’s major gateways, we see potential in emerging regional markets. Having two airline models gives the Group more options to respond to these opportunities over time, based on the characteristics and demand of each market. This gives us greater flexibility to grow in a measured way, while preserving the distinct role and proposition of each airline. AW: As flyadeal expands into India, how are you positioning Saudia as the premium flag carrier alongside a LCC to capture the price-sensitive travellers as well as the luxury tourists? A: Saudia and flyadeal allow us to serve different traveller preferences without defining the market purely by price. flyadeal provides a streamlined low-cost proposition, while Saudia offers a full-service experience across Guest, Business and First Class. For Saudia, we continue to invest across the full guest experience, from new and upgraded cabins, free high-speed inflight connectivity, enhanced entertainment and digital services, to premium products and the award-winning service of our cabin crew, recognized by Skytrax as Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East, reflecting the authentic Saudi hospitality at the heart of the Saudia experience. Together, this gives travellers in India greater choice in how they travel, while allowing both airlines to maintain clear and complementary propositions. AW: With King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah developing as a primary transcontinental hub, how is Saudia optimising its connection infrastructure and transit experiences to capture high-volume traffic moving onward to Europe, Africa, and the US? A: Jeddah is central to Saudia’s future network strategy. We are progressively concentrating more aircraft and connecting capacity at King Abdulaziz International Airport to strengthen its role as our primary international hub. This includes aligning schedules into coordinated arrival and departure waves, improving the efficiency of connections between flights and increasing the number of aircraft based in Jeddah. Saudia plans to grow its Jeddah-based fleet from approximately 102 aircraft in 2026 to around 186 by 2030. The ambition is also reflected in connecting traffic. International transit volumes through Jeddah are expected to increase from more than 2 million guests in 2026 to more than 5.5 million by 2030, supported by stronger connectivity between Asia, Europe, Africa and other international markets. Operational reliability is central to supporting that growth, with Saudia ranked the world’s No. 1 airline for on-time performance by Cirium for three consecutive months, from May to July 2026. Alongside efficient connections, we

With decades of expertise in precision machining and pressure-and-flow control, PHINIA is expanding from automotive into high-precision aerospace. By partnering with Safran to supply critical components for the Rafale fighter jet’s M88 engine, it is applying automotive-grade scalability and quality control to solve pressing supply chain bottlenecks in defense and commercial aviation.  In this interview with Aviation World, Emmanuel Simon, PHINIA’s Program Manager and Aerospace Leader, outlines the company’s global footprint, expanding certifications across Europe and Asia, and its vision for the aerospace sector.  Excerpts…   AW: Tell us about the products and vertical that PHINIA deals into? A: PHINIA is a diversified industrial company operating into different sectors. The range is from heavy-duty trucks tolight commercial vehicleswhere we supply components for them; marines, off-highway vehicles, like agricultural equipment or construction equipment. We also supply equipment for industrial, like power generation sets and automotive industry. Recently, as a diversified industrial company, we have started our production with Safran in the aerospace sector. Our skill set is precision machining, pressure and flow control and we have decades of expertise in this particular segment. This includes work for hydro-mechanical components, for diesel and gasoline equipment, injector, pump for piston engine or rotary engine. As we can use off-the-shelf product coming from PHINIA so this is why we believe we can give an added value to this sector. We have been diversified to supply components for turbine engine that require precision machining, high knowledge and skill in pressure and flow control. Due to this capabilities, Safran has selected us for the first production that has started this year. AW:Where is PHINIA’s HQ located? How about your APAC presence? A: PHINIA is a US-based company and has presence in more than 40 locations in above  20+ countries. We have approx. 13,000 people working and our annual revenue last year was 3.5 billion US dollars. Our first site in France is located in Loire which is certified for aerospace production. We have not yet our presence in Asia-Pacific but we have sites in China and India. This is why we have certified, and we are certifying this year another site in UK, our Stonehouse site. It will be certified EN-9100 before the end of 2026. AW:From India, what services you provide?  A: In India, we are providing and manufacturing hydro-mechanical components, and we have also services for software systems. AW:What area of work does you have with Safran? A: With Safran, I cannot share all because we have NDA. We have started our first production this year for one product that equips the M88 engine, which is fitted on the Rafale fighter jet, which has been sold to India. There is a plan to sell 114 Rafale fighters to the Indian government and this should be tied up and signed before the end of the 2026. We have started the production in March. We are SOP another product for the same engine and within next year, we will SOP for another product for this engine. So, this is about Safran industrialization, but also we are collaborating with Safran for advanced development project, where here it’s military and civil. AW:How do you see your presence at the Farnborough Airshow? A: Here, we highlighted the fact that we are convinced that PHINIA with his decade of expertise can bring an added value to the aerospace sector, because we are coming from the automotive industry. Currently, as I said, we are diversified across multi-sector of the industry and we can bring added value to perform fast track development. This is our DNA from the automotive industry and we have a vertical integration. We have a strong quality approach which is now standardized also at the aerospace. This quality approach is giving us a guideline to make sure that we are developing products to answer the right requirements according to the right process. This is a strength that PHINIA has and we have also the scalability. Currently, the supply chain in the aerospace manufacturers are struggling with the supply chain because many suppliers are small and they struggle to deliver and to answer the increased demand due to the growth of this sector. ( This interview is also published in the Aviation World Sept-Oct 2026 Print Edition)   

As civil aviation across the SAARC region—led by India’s massive fleet expansions— airspace modernisation, safety infrastructure, and fleet compliance have taken center stage. In this exclusive interview, Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor of Aviation World, speaks with Ron Nye, President of Avionics at Acron Aviation, about the company’s strategic push into the South Asian market, modernising safety compliance with advanced flight recording systems, rollout of NextGen ADS-B surveillance, and localised sustainment partnerships. Excerpts… AW: What are your key priorities for Acron Aviation’s avionics division in the SAARC region? A: Our top priority across the SAARC region is bringing Acron Aviation closer to the customers who rely on our systems every day. That starts with our avionics MRO center in Bangalore, which is already reducing turnaround times and logistics costs for operators across South Asia, and began with flight recorder repair and will expand over the next three years to cover TCAS and display systems. Beyond the physical footprint, we’re focused on three things: building deep local technical talent, aligning our safety systems with each country’s evolving regulatory requirements, and making sure our supply chain can keep pace with the region’s growth. India in particular is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world, and we intend to grow with it, not just sell into it. AW:How is Acron Aviation navigating current global supply chain dynamics and rising demand for its products and services in India? A: Like most of our industry, we’ve had to build more resilience into our supply chain over the past few years, qualifying additional sources for critical components, carrying strategic inventory closer to our customers, and investing in regional repair capability rather than routing everything back through our home facilities. India is a good example of that shift: rising fleet growth and traffic there have driven real demand for our recorders, displays, and surveillance products, and our Bangalore facility is a direct response. It shortens the loop between when a customer needs a repair and when they get their aircraft back in the air. We’re planning our capacity in India around where the market is going over the next five to ten years, not just where it is today. AW: India’s defense sector is strongly prioritizing “Make in India” and defense offset obligations. Is Acron Aviation looking into joint ventures or local manufacturing partnerships for avionics assembly in India? A: We take “Make in India” and the country’s offset framework seriously, because they reflect where a lot of our customers’ fleets and defense programs are headed. We’re actively evaluating what local manufacturing and assembly could look like for parts of our avionics platform, and conversations with potential Indian partners are ongoing. I don’t have a joint venture to announce today, but our approach with ACSS, our long-running venture with Thales on surveillance and collision-avoidance systems, shows how we like to build these relationships: deep technical integration, not just a label on a factory door. Any move we make in India will be built the same way: substantive, long-term, and aligned with what the Indian government and our customers actually need. AW:How do your latest flight data recorders and surveillance systems address specific regulatory frameworks across India and neighboring countries? A: Regulatory frameworks across India and its neighbors aren’t identical, and our systems have to work within each one. Our flight and cockpit voice recorders are already designed to meet the toughest applicable standards, including ED-112 crash-survivability requirements, and our Bangalore facility is pursuing DGCA CAR 145 certification now, with FAA, EASA, and CAAC approvals planned so we can support operators flying across multiple regulatory regimes on the same day. On the surveillance side, our SafeRoute+ and Lynx systems are built to the ICAO standards and regional mandates driving ADS-B adoption. Our job is to stay ahead of where each civil aviation authority in the region is heading, not just where the rules stand today. AW:To meet the airspace challenges, how are Acron Aviation’s TCAS and ADS-B solutions helping its customers improve flight path efficiency and airspace safety? A: South Asian airspace is getting busier every year, and that puts a premium on precise, predictable separation. Our Lynx ADS-B In/Out systems and SafeRoute+ surveillance platform give operators and air navigation service providers much more accurate real-time position data than legacy radar-based separation allows, which supports tighter, more fuel-efficient routing and reduces the padding controllers have to build into flight paths. On the collision-avoidance side, our TCAS systems, developed through our ACSS partnership with Thales, remain a core layer of protection as traffic density increases. Together, those systems let our customers fly more direct routes and closer schedules without compromising the safety margins that matter most in crowded airspace. AW:What initiatives are being taken toward expanding Acron Aviation’s MRO and customer support network? A: Bangalore is the clearest example of where we’re headed: a full-service avionics MRO center that started with recorder repair and is expanding over three years to cover TCAS and display systems too. But it’s part of a broader pattern for us. We want repair and support capability closer to where our customers actually operate, not concentrated in a handful of legacy locations. That means continued investment in field support, engineering resources, and spares availability across the Asia-Pacific region, built on the same quality standards across our global network. Customers should get the same turnaround and the same quality whether their aircraft is being serviced in Bangalore, London, or the United States. AW: What role do strategic partnerships play in Acron Aviation’s product roadmap moving forward? A: Partnerships are central to how we develop products, not an afterthought. Our joint venture with Thales through ACSS has shaped our surveillance and collision-avoidance roadmap for years, and our agreement with Deutsche Aircraft to supply flight recorder and standby systems for the D328eco program shows how we like to work with airframers early, as programs are being defined, rather than bidding after the fact. Going forward, I expect partnerships — with OEMs, with airlines, with regulators, and potentially with