Saudi Arabia’s national airline Saudia is now flying three times a week to Jeddah – we’ve looked at what it means for connectivity to the Middle East from the Midlands below
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Saudi Arabia's national airline Saudia has launched flights from Birmingham Airport in a bid to offer better connectivity to the Middle East for Midlanders. It is the first time the Arab country's national carrier is operating from Solihull-based BHX – with flights to run three times a week to Jeddah.
Flights to the Red Sea city launched on July 2, as BHX welcomed Saudia’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, flight SV0250 at 1pm , before departing as flight SV0250 for Jeddah at 2:30pm. Saudia is one of a number of popular Arab airlines either resuming services to the Middle East, or introducing new routes this summer.
The airline flies from its base in Jeddah to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and North America. It means Midlands pilgrims travelling over for Hajj will benefit from the new route.
READ MORE: Middle East boost at Birmingham Airport from Emirates, Qatar Airways and Saudia
Birmingham Airport has been a hive of activity as a number of Middle Eastern airlines boost their activity in the region. Saturday July 1 saw Emirates resume their flagship A380 services, the next day Saudia's first Jeddah flight took off, and tomorrow, July 6, sees Qatar Airways return to BHX after three years to reinstate its daily Doha service.
Manal Alshehri, vice president of passenger sales for Saudia said: “We are proud to be expanding our operations in the United Kingdom and continue to regularly offer new destinations to our guests. The United Kingdom is a very important destination for SAUDIA, and the launch of new direct flights to and from Birmingham highlights the strengthening of relations between our two countries.
"We’re also very grateful for the continuous support from the Air Connectivity Program, which enables us to continue to grow as we work towards our objective to bring the world to Saudi Arabia.”
Saudia's Jeddah services will fly on Tuesdays, Thursday and Sundays. Flights prices for next week from BHX to Jeddah on the Saudia website are priced at £372 one way.
News of expansion will likely be welcomed by travellers, as the absence of Arab airlines from BHX meant options were limited with getting to the UAE and pushed up the prices of other operators serving the region.
The return of Emirates and Qatar Airways means more choice for Midlands travellers. Both Dubai and Doha are a key connection for those travelling to destinations like Australia and New Zealand.
Saudia returned July 2. Three flights a week to Jeddah.
Qatar Airways resumes from BHX on July 6. Daily Doha services.
Nick Barton, chief executive of BHX, said: “We are so pleased to welcome Saudia to Birmingham Airport for what we hope will be a long-lasting and fruitful partnership. Among the six million people who live in our immediate catchment are many thousands who now have wonderful new options with Saudia, whether they’re travelling for business, leisure, family or religious purposes.
“Some will go to Jeddah to sample its beautiful beaches, modern architecture and rich cultural heritage, including the historic Al-Balad district. Some will go on to Makkah and Medina for Hajj. Others will travel onwards via Saudia’s impressive global network to destinations in Asia, Africa and North America. Brits travelling from Birmingham beyond Jeddah, can also make use of the 'stop-over visa' – a chance to enjoy Jeddah before heading on.”
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