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DUBAI: Saudi Arabian Airlines, known as Saudia, has launched a new in-flight entertainment system during the Arabian Travel Market 2022, which is being held at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The new IFE system, Beyond, entails over 5,000 hours of HD content, including, Western and Eastern films and TV shows, a library of e-books, weather reports, shopping, meal ordering, flight information and agenda timeline.

It also includes practical features, such as the ability to check the status of the flight while en route; and a real-time view of the sky during take-off and landing from cameras.

The airline said that Beyond will be implemented gradually across the Saudia fleet by the end of this year. 

Speaking at the ATM event, the airline’s CEO said the company has fully recovered from the COVID-19 effects and it has new demands coming in.

“Even with higher costs, it is not hindering travel, particularly in Saudi Arabia, and Saudia sees bookings and demands coming in,” Ibrahim S. Koshy said.

Speaking about the future, Koshy said the airline’s “commercial fleet size will have to double in the future.”

The company is aware of the gaps it experiences and it is working on providing a seamless experience, Koshy added. 

The ATM, the Middle East’s largest travel and tourism exhibition, is a four-day event that addresses the concerns and hopes of the industry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.