Despite various media reports late last week, Saudi Arabia's national airline, Saudia, has confirmed that it has no plans to segregate its cabins by gender in response to recent complaints from male passengers.
A Monday press release helped provide some clarity:
"We would like to emphasize that no Saudia official has made any statement on gender segregation," the release said, quoting what the release refers to as "an informed source at the airline."
There had allegedly been a slew of complaints made by male passengers regarding other men sitting next to their wives and other female family members. Complaints were also made in regard to female flight attendants being overly flirtatious.
Saudi Arabia is well-known for its gender segregation laws that include separate entrances and exits for men and women in various public places.
Last month, Saudia's vice president of marketing, Abdul Rahman Al-Fahd, made a brief statement regarding a complaint about seating arrangements. But Saudia now says that his response was taken out of context.
The airline, which claims that its crew members do their best to resolve seating issues with minimal delay, recommends that passengers book their seats well in advance in order to ensure that their family sits together.
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