New airlines connecting Kingdom with Africa to be launched soon: Report

A new Saudi airline will soon be launched in Riyadh by an investor to link Saudi Arabia and the African continent, with the aim of supporting tourism and investment, Al Eqtisadiah News Paper reported, citing informed sources.

Regulatory approvals have been obtained from both the local sides and the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), the report added.

Details on the launch and starting operations dates, and the company’s routes are expected to be disclosed during the upcoming period.

The new airline is originally an airline that had been operating in Saudi Arabia since 2016, and halted operations in 2021 after being exposed to a number of economic challenges, the newspaper said.

The new company will work to launch multiple air transport routes between a number of African countries and Saudi cities, with direct flights and stopover flights, targeting the transport of 385 million passengers between Saudi Arabia and Africa, until 2030. This will contribute to supporting tourism seasons and events, as well as religious events such as Hajj and Umrah.

During the upcoming period, stages of establishing the company and obtaining other regulatory approvals will be completed, the aviation fleet will be prepared to operate air routes with the African continent, while the information indicates that the investor will form an alliance with other investors to support the company’s strength and expansion, the report further explained.

The new airlines is still in the process of evaluating the commercial opportunity, the size of the investment, the stages of operation, and choosing the trade name, while the airline fleet will include five classes for booking flights, the newspaper added.