The Air Connectivity Program signed a memorandum of understanding with BeOnd airline, aiming to explore cooperation opportunities to operate direct air routes connecting 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

Connecting the Red Sea destination to 6 European cities

The memorandum aims to explore cooperation opportunities to operate direct air routes linking the Red Sea destination with 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 in enhancing air connectivity with priority international markets.

Sun, 14 2026

Supporting tourism targets and enhancing connectivity with European markets

Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Saudi Arabia, affirmed that the memorandum embodies the 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 center for air connectivity and tourism.

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

Attracting international carriers and expanding the network of destinations

For his part, the CEO 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 new routes connecting Saudi Arabia to target markets, emphasizing that the program continues to work with the tourism and aviation ecosystems and air carriers to expand the international destinations network, stimulate inbound flight growth, and raise Saudi Arabia's competitiveness on the global travel map, achieving the targets 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 among them the Red Sea destination, and contributes to increasing visitor numbers and creating economic and developmental opportunities.

European expansion after the success of the Milan route

John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Global, the developer of the Red Sea destination, explained that the launch of the Milan route with BeOnd last year demonstrated 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, contributing to accelerating tourism growth and receiving more visitors.

Sun, 31 2026

Enhancing the competitiveness of destinations

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 the competitiveness of destinations, noting that the memorandum is an extension of the integrated efforts between the tourism and aviation sectors to increase Saudi Arabia's presence in target European markets and expand access to unique tourist destinations, foremost among them the Red Sea destination, supporting the attraction of more international visitors and allowing them to enjoy diverse tourism experiences, including events, seasons, and cultural and entertainment activities, keeping pace with the rapid growth witnessed in the tourism sector.

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