Arab Aviation > Saudi Arabia > Defunct Airlines

Sama Airlines

IATA Code: ZS | ICAO Code: SMY | Callsign NAJIM

Sama Airlines سما للطيران
Sama LelTayaran Company Limited,
PO Box 361662 Riyadh
11313 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Tel: 966 (1) 263 009
www.flysama.com

Ownership: Privately owned (Investment Enterprises Ltd consist of 30 major Saudi private and institutional investors including Olayan Financial Co, Xenel Industries Ltd, Saudi Industrial Services Co, Sara Development Company Ltd and Modern Investment Company for Trade and Industries)

Sama LelTayaran Company Limited, operating as Sama, was a Saudi low-cost airline based at King Fahad International Airport, Dammam operating scheduled flights within Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, operated six Boeing 737-300s. The airline's registered address was in Riyadh. Sama was founded in March 2007..The airlines was initially focussing on domestic flights, subsequently expanded by serving international destinations during 2008. Another major restructuring occurred during 2009 when the airline's timetables were rescheduled towards higher aircraft utilization, in an attempt to improve the financial results of the company (which also saw unprofitable routes being phased out, and frequency increase for profitable routes).

On 24 August 2010, the airline ceased it flight operations. The decision was taken after the airline recorded a loss of 1 billion riyals ($266 million), Sama, which received 200 million riyals as a loan from the government to cover fuel costs and 500 million riyals from shareholders, fell short of 300 million riyals to maintain its flight operations Media reports Sama LelTayaran Company Limited will not sell its assets and is making attempts to re-enter the market, and a Saudi daily Okaz reported that Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), Qatar Airways, Air Arabia and a number of other Arab airline companies have expressed interest in aquiring Sama, which was the first Arab Gulf airline company to suspend its operations.

Riyadh-based National Air Services was the first Saudi low- cost carrier received an Air Operators Certificate (AOC). National Air and Sama competed with state-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines, which receives government support and subsidized fuel.

Executives: Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Al Faisal (Chairman) Bruce Ashby (CEO)

Jan21

Lufthansa Technik and Sama Airlines igned a contract for Total Material Operations TMO®.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Lufthansa Technik and Sama Airlines from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have signed a contract for Total Material Operations TMO®. According to the agreement, Lufthansa Technik will provide material and engineering services for the low-cost airline’s growing fleet of to date six Boeing 737-300s in the upcoming seven years. The services will start in March. Read More