The Air Connectivity Program signed a memorandum of understanding with BeOnd airline, aiming to explore cooperation opportunities to operate direct air routes linking the Red Sea destination to 6 European cities. The signing was sponsored by the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Air Connectivity Program, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, on the sidelines of Saudi Arabia's participation in the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, held in London from July 20 to 24, 2026.

Sun, 21 2026

Linking Red Sea Destination to 6 European Cities

The memorandum aims to explore cooperation opportunities to operate direct air routes linking the Red Sea destination to London, Paris, Moscow, Milan, Munich, and Zurich via Red Sea International Airport, contributing to boosting tourism traffic, expanding travel options, and supporting Saudi Arabia's targets to enhance air connectivity with priority international markets.

Sun, 14 2026

Supporting Tourism Targets and Enhancing Connectivity with European Markets

President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, affirmed that the memorandum reflects continued efforts to expand the air connectivity network in Saudi Arabia by building strategic partnerships with international carriers, supporting the targets of the aviation program and the National Tourism Strategy, and enhancing Saudi Arabia's position as a global hub for air connectivity and tourism.

He added that the partnership contributes to exploring opportunities to operate new routes between the Red Sea destination and European cities, facilitating the arrival of visitors from targeted European markets, enhancing tourism traffic, and providing direct travel options according to the highest standards, supporting economic development and boosting Saudi Arabia's attractiveness as a global tourism destination.

Attracting International Carriers and Expanding Destination Network

For his part, the Executive Director of the Air Connectivity Program, Ahmed Al-Ibrahim, explained that the memorandum represents an extension of the program's efforts to attract international partners and launch quality routes linking Saudi Arabia to target markets, affirming that the program continues to work with the tourism and aviation ecosystems and airlines to expand the international destination network, stimulate the growth of inbound air traffic, and enhance Saudi Arabia's competitiveness on the global travel map, achieving the goals of Vision 2030.

He added that the cooperation with BeOnd reflects the program's commitment to developing sustainable air connectivity solutions that support tourist destinations, foremost of which is the Red Sea destination, and contributes to increasing visitor numbers and creating economic and developmental opportunities.

European Expansion Following Success of Milan Route

The CEO of Red Sea Global, the developer of the Red Sea destination, John Pagano, stated that the launch of the Milan route with BeOnd last year proved the demand for direct access to the Red Sea destination, noting that the new agreement builds on this momentum by expanding the European network and bringing the destination closer to travelers, accelerating tourism growth and welcoming more visitors.

Sun, 31 2026

Enhancing Destination Competitiveness

In turn, the Acting CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, Abdullah Al-Haqbani, affirmed that air connectivity is a pivotal factor in developing tourism traffic and enhancing destination competitiveness, noting that the memorandum is an extension of the integrated efforts between the tourism and aviation sectors to increase Saudi Arabia's presence in targeted European markets and expand access to unique tourist destinations, foremost being the Red Sea destination, supporting the attraction of more international visitors and enabling them to enjoy diverse tourism experiences, including events, seasons, and cultural and entertainment activities, keeping pace with the rapid growth in the tourism sector.

For his part, the CEO and Chairman of the Board of BeOnd, Tero Taskila, affirmed that the signing of the memorandum represents an important milestone in the long-term partnership between the company and Saudi Arabia, and reflects the company's commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia's ambitions in the aviation and tourism sectors.