Saudi Arabia Plans Launch of Three More Airlines

Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Authority has announced plans to introduce three new airlines, which will join the existing carriers Saudia, flynas, flyadeal and newly-launched Riyadh Air. The decision was unveiled by Tourism Authority CEO Fahd Hamidaddin during remarks at the Cityscape Global conference in Riyadh.

One of the proposed airlines will be a low-cost carrier headquartered at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, with ambitions to operate a fleet of 45 aircraft by 2030, servicing 24 domestic and 57 international destinations and carrying 10 million passengers annually.

Another carrier will be based in the holy city of Madinah, focusing on religious-tourism routes directly into the city, complementing existing infrastructure such as the high-speed rail link between Madinah and Jeddah.

Details remain undisclosed for the third airline, including its brand, base city and launch date. The strategic expansion follows the kingdom’s recent record of handling 128 million passengers in 2024 and aims to strengthen its position as an aviation and travel hub.