Al Maha Airways

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Al Maha Airways
المها
IATA ICAO Call sign
QRQTRQATARI
Founded2014
Ceased operations2017
Hubs Hamad International Airport
Fleet size4
Destinations11 (planned)
Parent company Qatar Airways
Headquarters Doha, Qatar

Al Maha Airways was a planned subsidiary airline of Qatar Airways to serve the Saudi Arabian travel market. It was based initially at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, and then at Hamad International Airport in Doha. The beginning of operations was postponed several times following its initial announcement in 2014, and then cancelled entirely by February 2017 following issues obtaining its operational license and the Qatar diplomatic crisis.

Contents

History

Al Maha Airways was founded as a Saudi Arabian subsidiary of Qatar Airways in 2014, but never began operations. Al Maha, which means "oryx" in Arabic, was to sport the Qatar Airways logo but would be green instead of the Qatar Airways signature burgundy colour, to match Saudi Arabia's national colors. On 29 April 2015, Al Maha Airways took delivery of four Airbus A320-200 aircraft. [1]

The airline was set to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2014, [2] but then the starting date was postponed to summer 2016. [3] In February 2017, Qatar Airways announced that the Al Maha Airways project was cancelled and the airline would not begin operations, due to ongoing issues gaining its operational license and the Qatar diplomatic crisis. [4]

Destinations

The initial destinations were planned to be Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Madina, Abha, Al Qassim, Doha, Dubai (Al Maktoum) and Muscat.

CountryCityAirportNotes
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia Abha Abha International Airport
Al Qassim Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport
Dammam King Fahd International Airport
Jeddah King Fahd International Airport
Madina Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport
Riyadh King Khalid International Airport
Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar Doha Hamad International Airport Hub
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg UAE Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport
Flag of Oman.svg Oman Muscat Muscat International Airport

Fleet

Al Maha Airways Airbus A320-200, the first out of the four A320s which was delivered but never started operations QTR A320 F-WWDO!6717 31jul15 LFBO.jpg
Al Maha Airways Airbus A320-200, the first out of the four A320s which was delivered but never started operations

As of November 2016 the Al Maha Airways fleet consisted of the following aircraft: [5]

Al Maha Airways fleet
AircraftNumberOrdersPassengersNotes
CYTotal
Airbus A320-200 4, repainted, without the green oryx livery44 12168180Now in service with Qatar Airways
Total4

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References

  1. "Arabian Aerospace – Al Maha Airways receives its first four A320s" . Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  2. "Official: Qatar's Al Maha Airways to launch in Saudi by year-end – Doha News". Doha News. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  3. "بيروقراطية التراخيص تؤخر انطلاق طيران المها إلى صيف 2016". Al-MADINA.COM صحيفة المدينة. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  4. ch-aviation.com - Al Baker confirms Al Maha Airways project abandoned 8 February 2017
  5. "Al Maha Airways Fleet Details and History".

List of airlines of Qatar