Saudia

When a big Boeing with “SAUDIA” titles comes over the threshold in Frankfurt or Munich, it is no everyday flyer like the tenth A320 of the day. Saudia is Saudi Arabia’s national airline, a SkyTeam member and one of the oldest airlines in the Middle East. For spotters it is interesting for several reasons: three long-haul types alternate on the European routes, two livery generations have been flying since the 2023 rebranding, and during pilgrimage season foreign aircraft suddenly fly under SV flight numbers. This page shows you how to classify Saudia with confidence.

Saudia at a glance

Saudia is Saudi Arabia’s state-owned network carrier, based in Jeddah on the Red Sea. Its history begins in 1945 with a single aircraft: a Douglas DC-3 that US President Franklin D. Roosevelt had given to the Saudi King Abdulaziz. Scheduled service began in March 1947, at first with a small fleet of DC-3s. In the following decades the airline grew quickly: the first jets arrived in the 1960s, the first widebodies in the 1970s with the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, and the first Boeing 747 in 1977.

The airline has changed its name several times. Founded as Saudi Arabian Airlines, it operated as Saudia from 1972, returned to the long name in 1996 and has called itself Saudia again since May 2012. The second name change coincided exactly with joining the SkyTeam alliance – Saudia thus became the first airline from the Middle East in the alliance.

The Saudia Group also includes the low-cost subsidiary flyadeal, flying since 2017, and the cargo arm Saudia Cargo. The airline’s frequent flyer program is called AlFursan.

Codes and callsign

• IATA code SV: appears in the flight number, so on the departure board, the ticket and in airport schedules.
• ICAO code SVA: appears in the air traffic control flight plan and on flight trackers.
• Callsign SAUDIA: this is how the crew identifies itself on the radio, followed by the flight number.

The code SV can’t be read directly from the name Saudia – so it is best to remember it together with SVA. Why two code systems exist side by side is explained in the guide IATA and ICAO codes.

Hubs: Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Medina

Unlike Emirates or Qatar Airways, which funnel everything through a single hub, Saudia spreads its network across several airports in its home country:

Airport	IATA	Role
King Abdulaziz International, Jeddah	JED	Main hub and headquarters, gateway for pilgrims to Mecca
King Khalid International, Riyadh	RUH	Hub in the capital
King Fahd International, Dammam	DMM	Hub for the east of the country
Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz, Medina	MED	Important destination for pilgrim traffic

This split is changing right now. With Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia is building a second state airline based in Riyadh. Saudia has announced that it will concentrate on Jeddah by 2030 and largely leave Riyadh to the new sister airline in the country. How consistently and at what pace that happens is open. For you as a spotter in Europe that means: the origin of a Saudia flight may shift in the coming years.

Besides Saudia, flyadeal and Riyadh Air, flynas is another Saudi low-cost airline. It is not part of the Saudia Group but is a direct competitor in the country on many domestic routes.

The fleet: three long-haul types and the A320 family

On widebodies Saudia relies on three types, on short- and medium-haul on the Airbus A320 family. The following overview lists the types that matter to spotters in Europe. The exact numbers keep changing through deliveries, returns and leased aircraft, so we deliberately do without a fixed total.

Type	ICAO type code	Use	Spotter tip
Boeing 777-300ER	B77W	Long-haul, strong Europe and Asia routes	Largest passenger aircraft in the fleet, around three dozen
Boeing 787-9	B789	Long-haul	Serrated nacelle edges, strongly curved wings
Boeing 787-10	B78X	Long-haul with high demand	Longest 787, same look as the 787-9
Airbus A330-300	A333	Medium- and long-haul, also a regional version	Two engines, four-wheel main landing gear
Airbus A320 / A321	A320 / A321	Domestic, Middle East, Europe in winter	Classic A320 family
Airbus A321neo	A21N	Short- and medium-haul	Larger engines than the A321
Airbus A321XLR	A21N	Long narrowbody routes	Newest type in the fleet

The Boeing 777-300ER is the backbone of long-haul. Alongside it the 787 fleet is growing: in March 2023 Saudia ordered 39 more Dreamliners from Boeing, split between the 787-9 and 787-10, plus options on ten more. At Airbus, the Saudia Group placed a large order for A320neo-family aircraft in 2024, to be split between Saudia and flyadeal. Saudia had already ordered the A321XLR before, which lets it send narrowbodies on longer routes; the first examples have been in service since 2026.

The Airbus A330-300 flies at Saudia in two versions: as the normal long-haul version and as the so-called A330 Regional, a variant designed for shorter routes with high capacity. From the outside the two are hard to tell apart.

Historically Saudia has a colorful type history: Boeing 720B, L-1011 TriStar, Boeing 747 in several versions, McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and MD-90 as well as the 777-200ER. These types have largely disappeared from passenger service – if you have a photo of a Saudia 747 in your collection, you are now holding a piece of aviation history.

777, 787 or A330? How to tell the long-haul types apart

On the European routes you can meet any of the three widebody types. On approach they look similar at first glance – all have two engines and wear the same livery. A few details help you sort them out.

Between the 787-9 and 787-10, length is the main difference: the 787-10 is noticeably more stretched, the proportions look slimmer. The surest way to confirm the type is the ICAO type code on the tracker – B789 or B78X. You will find more tips in the guide Telling the Boeing 777 and 787 apart.

How to recognize Saudia

The most important feature is the large “SAUDIA” titles on the fuselage, plus the airline’s name in Arabic script. In September 2023 Saudia renewed its brand, deliberately picking up the design of the 1970s, when the airline first flew under the name Saudia. Because a fleet is never repainted all at once, at hubs and in Europe you currently see older and newer liveries side by side. For your collection it is worth logging both variants as long as the old one is still flying.

Besides the standard livery, Saudia has repeatedly used special liveries, such as SkyTeam liveries, a livery for the Saudi National Day, a design for the airline’s 75th anniversary and a motorsport livery for the Formula E race in Diriyah. How alliance liveries are built in general is shown in the article Alliance liveries.

The registration always starts with HZ-, Saudi Arabia’s nationality mark. Saudia assigns registrations in blocks that often hint at the type – on the A330s, for example, registrations from the HZ-AQ block. How registrations work in general is explained in the guide Understanding aircraft registrations.

Hajj, Umrah and leased aircraft

A special feature you will find at hardly any European airline is the pilgrim traffic. Jeddah is the gateway for pilgrims to Mecca, Medina the destination for visits to the Prophet’s Mosque. In the Hajj season and around Ramadan, demand shoots up, and Saudia flies numerous additional special and charter flights.

To cover these peaks, Saudia leases aircraft from other operators – some complete with crew. In recent years leased widebodies, including aircraft with European registrations, have repeatedly flown under SV flight numbers. These aircraft often wear the lessor’s livery or only small Saudia titles. For spotters these are real rarities: a European-registered aircraft on a pilgrim route shows up only a few weeks a year.

Spotting Saudia in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

According to the route overviews (as of 2026), Saudia flies to Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Geneva and Zurich in German-speaking countries. The flights mostly start in Jeddah or Riyadh. Some routes are served only seasonally or adjusted in frequency – so check the current schedule before every trip.

The change in aircraft size is exciting: on European routes Saudia often uses A320-family aircraft in winter, and larger types such as the A330, 787 or 777-300ER in summer and at travel peaks. If you want to get a Saudia 777 in front of your lens, your chances are usually better in the summer months.

• Frankfurt Airport: Saudia has been present here for a long time, with cargo as well. A good starting point is the Zeppelinheim viewing platform; tips about the place are collected in the Frankfurt guide.
• Munich Airport: From the visitors’ hill you have a good view of the runways. You will find more spots in the Munich guide.
• Vienna Airport: The spotters’ hill is one of the most popular places at the airport.
• Geneva Airport and Zurich: In Geneva the observation deck offers a comfortable view of the apron.

Arrival and departure times follow the connection waves in Jeddah and Riyadh, similar to the big Gulf airlines. When long-haul flights typically arrive in Europe is explained in the guide Long-haul arrival times in Europe.

Saudia compared with the Gulf airlines

Saudia is often mentioned in the same breath as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways. The business model differs considerably, though. The three Gulf carriers live mainly on connecting traffic between Europe, Asia and Africa through a single hub. Saudia, by contrast, serves a large home market with many domestic flights, several hubs and pilgrim traffic. Then there is the alliance: Saudia is with SkyTeam, Qatar Airways with oneworld, and Emirates and Etihad belong to no alliance. You can read more about the Gulf airlines’ business model in the article Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and for an overview of the alliances see Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam.

For spotters that means: Saudia flights in Europe are rarer than the daily Emirates rotations, but the variety of types on a single route is often greater.

Common mix-ups

• Equating Saudia and flyadeal – flyadeal is part of the Saudia Group but is a separate low-cost airline with its own livery.
• Thinking flynas is a Saudia subsidiary – flynas is an independent competitor and not part of the group.
• Confusing Riyadh Air with Saudia – both are state-owned, but Riyadh Air is a separate airline with its own branding.
• Thinking every SV flight number is an HZ aircraft – in pilgrimage season, leased aircraft with foreign registrations fly too.
• Mixing up the 787 and A330 on approach – watch for the serrated nacelle edges and the missing winglets of the 787.
• Confusing SV with a country code – SV is purely an airline designator, not an abbreviation for a country.

Conclusion

Saudia is more than just another airline from the Middle East. Behind the large titles are over 80 years of history, several name changes, a fleet with three long-haul types and a network strongly shaped by pilgrim traffic. In Frankfurt, Munich or Vienna a close look pays off: registration, type and livery generation turn a single Saudia sighting into a detailed entry in your collection.