Photo: NEOM
Back in 2021, Prince Mohamed Bin Salman officially introduced the NEOM project, a smart city-state covering 10,000 square miles (25,900 square km) in the province of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. With resorts gearing up to open their gates next year, NEOM is also planning to launch its own airline, one that embodies the same mix of high-tech and sustainability, as the city itself.
NEOM is still as mysterious as it sounds, a futuristic wonderland that seems straight out of a videogame. It’s comprised of exotic-sounding regions such as The Line (a linear city with no cars), Oxagon (a floating industrial complex), the Trojena Resort (the first large-scale resort for outdoor skiing in the Arabian Peninsula), and Sindalah (a fabulous luxury resort with a giant marina).
All of these are supposed to incorporate not only the latest technology developments, but also the exclusive use of clean energy as well as other sustainable principles.
The main way to reach this mysterious land will be via airplane, which is why NEOM is launching its own airline. At first, NEOM Airlines will operate from the NEOM Bay Airport, which was already inaugurated a couple of years ago, but it will transfer to the NEOM International Airport in the future.
With a concept like Neom, you can’t expect a regular, boring airline. Its CEO, Klaus Goersh, depicts a grandiose vision, where luxury is experienced every step of the way.
Future passengers can forget about the hassle of dealing with bags and airport access. The bags would be collected from their home and delivered straight to the final destination. Advanced biometrics would be enough for security clearing, no need for visas or being checked at the gate.
Inside the cabin, the luxurious experience would continue with large screens for every seat and 6G Wi-Fi, plus on-demand dining. Passengers can connect their own devices to these screens, for unlimited entertainment and even gaming. At the same time, they get to dine whenever they prefer and enjoy fancy meals prepared with locally-sourced ingredients.
The goal is to “forget” that they are even onboard a plane, and feel truly at home. But this is supposed to be sustainable luxury, with every element inside the future aircraft carefully selected to reflect this philosophy.
As for the aircraft, the NEOM airline will initially operate retrofitted airliners, but it has big plans of switching to zero-emission alternatives starting 2026. For now, there are no further details regarding the aircraft models that will be chosen for retrofit, but they are expected to start operating by the end of next year and to run only on SAF (sustainable aviation fuel).
Then, in years to come, they’ll be gradually replaced by electric airplanes, hydrogen-powered ones, and supersonic airliners.
All of these are supposed to incorporate not only the latest technology developments, but also the exclusive use of clean energy as well as other sustainable principles.
The main way to reach this mysterious land will be via airplane, which is why NEOM is launching its own airline. At first, NEOM Airlines will operate from the NEOM Bay Airport, which was already inaugurated a couple of years ago, but it will transfer to the NEOM International Airport in the future.
With a concept like Neom, you can’t expect a regular, boring airline. Its CEO, Klaus Goersh, depicts a grandiose vision, where luxury is experienced every step of the way.
Future passengers can forget about the hassle of dealing with bags and airport access. The bags would be collected from their home and delivered straight to the final destination. Advanced biometrics would be enough for security clearing, no need for visas or being checked at the gate.
Inside the cabin, the luxurious experience would continue with large screens for every seat and 6G Wi-Fi, plus on-demand dining. Passengers can connect their own devices to these screens, for unlimited entertainment and even gaming. At the same time, they get to dine whenever they prefer and enjoy fancy meals prepared with locally-sourced ingredients.
The goal is to “forget” that they are even onboard a plane, and feel truly at home. But this is supposed to be sustainable luxury, with every element inside the future aircraft carefully selected to reflect this philosophy.
As for the aircraft, the NEOM airline will initially operate retrofitted airliners, but it has big plans of switching to zero-emission alternatives starting 2026. For now, there are no further details regarding the aircraft models that will be chosen for retrofit, but they are expected to start operating by the end of next year and to run only on SAF (sustainable aviation fuel).
Then, in years to come, they’ll be gradually replaced by electric airplanes, hydrogen-powered ones, and supersonic airliners.
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