The Air Connectivity Program signed a memorandum of understanding with Beyond Airlines, under the patronage of the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Air Connectivity Program, Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, on the sidelines of the Kingdom's participation in the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow held in London from July 20 to 24.

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 the Red Sea International Airport. This comes within the framework of enhancing tourism traffic, expanding travel options, and supporting the Kingdom's targets in developing air connectivity with prioritized international markets.

Enhancing International Partnerships

Abdulaziz Al-Duailej stated that the memorandum reflects the continuation of efforts to expand the Kingdom's air connectivity network by building strategic partnerships with international carriers. He pointed out that this step supports the targets of the aviation program and the national tourism strategy, and solidifies the Kingdom's position as a global hub for air connectivity and tourism.

He added that the partnership with "Beyond" contributes to operating new routes between the Red Sea and European cities, facilitating the arrival of visitors from targeted European markets, and providing direct travel options with high standards. This also supports economic development and enhances the Kingdom's attractiveness as a global tourist destination.

Supporting Saudi Vision 2030

For his part, the Executive Director of the Air Connectivity Program, Ahmed Al-Ibrahim, explained that this memorandum represents an extension of the program's efforts to attract international partners and launch premium routes connecting the Kingdom with target markets. He affirmed that the program continues to work with the tourism and aviation ecosystems and airlines to expand the international destinations network and stimulate the growth of inbound air traffic, thereby enhancing the Kingdom's competitiveness on the global travel map and achieving the targets of Saudi Vision 2030.

In the same context, Al-Ibrahim pointed out that cooperation with "Beyond" Airlines reflects the program's commitment to developing sustainable air connectivity solutions that support promising tourist destinations, foremost among them the Red Sea destination, contributing to increasing visitor numbers and creating economic and developmental opportunities for the Kingdom.

Expanding the European Network

The CEO of the Red Sea International Group, John Pagano, stated that the announcement of the Milan route with Beyond Airlines last year proved the demand for direct access to the Red Sea destination, and that the new agreement builds on this momentum by expanding the European network and bringing destinations closer to travelers, to contribute to accelerating the growth of regenerative tourism and welcoming more guests.

The Acting CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, Abdullah Al-Haqbani, pointed out that air connectivity is a pivotal factor in developing tourism traffic and enhancing the competitiveness of destinations. He explained that the memorandum comes as an extension of the integrated efforts between the tourism and aviation systems to increase the Kingdom's presence in targeted European markets and expand access to unique tourist destinations, foremost among them the Red Sea destination.

Long-Term Partnership

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

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