News: BA to resume Saudi flights next spring
Flights > News > # 1984 (27/11/2008)
British Airways will resume flights from London to Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia at the end of March.
The airline will fly five times each week from Heathrow Terminal 5 to both Jeddah and Riyadh, starting on March 29. Flights to Riyadh will operate on a Boeing 777 and Jeddah flights will be on a Boeing 767.
British Airways suspended services to Saudi Arabia in March 2005 due to concerns over the security situation in the Middle Eastern country. BMI quickly stepped in to fill the void, and restrictions on the number of flights allowed between Britain and Saudi Arabia meant it was impossible for BA to re-start their Saudi flights. In June, the UK and Saudi governments agreed to increase from 13 to 35 the maximum number of weekly flights that each country’s airlines can operate between the two states, thus clearing the path for BA’s return.
A BA spokesman said: “Resuming these flights makes commercial sense. The oil market is increasingly important globally and inward investment into Saudi Arabia has risen considerably in the last couple of years.”
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Comment:
The lifting of restrictions on flights between the UK and Saudi Arabia will be of great benefit to passengers wishing to travel between the two countries, especially as many of the current connections involve going via other Gulf states, and then heading backwards to Riyadh or Jeddah. Having more options to fly direct from London without any changes will certainly give passengers a much-needed choice on this important route.
