Aviation360 MEA

Two new destinations have been added to the network of Dubai-based LCC flydubai in Saudi Arabia, and two more have resumed service.

The airline will begin connecting Dubai (DXB) with Neom (NUM) and Qaisumah (AQI) on March 16 and March 21, respectively. The airline now serves 12 sites across the kingdom. Both locations will be served by Boeing 737-800s twice weekly and are new to flydubai.

While Qaisumah is situated close to the city of Hafar al-Batin in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, Neom is a proposed $500 billion megacity in the northwest of the country.

Saudia, which began service on the 2,013-km (1,087-nm) route last August and presently offers one trip each week, will compete with Flydubai on the Dubai-Neom market. Since there are currently no services between Dubai and Qaisumah, flydubai will be the only airline offering flights from the UAE to Saudi Arabia.

Flydubai also plans to start a 4X-weekly route to Jazan (GIZ) from April 26 and a 3X-weekly route to Najran (EAM) from March 18. The LCC stopped operating between Dubai and Dubai-Jazan in May 2015, according to data from OAG Schedules Analyzer. Right now, neither route is served.

“Flydubai remains committed to opening up underserved markets and so we are pleased to offer our customers more options for travel with the launch of these four destinations,” CCO Hamad Obaidalla said.

“As Saudi Arabia continues on its path of economic growth and investment in developing its tourism sector, we look forward to offering passengers from the UAE and around our network the opportunity to explore more of the country.”

Four new routes will be launched by Saudia, the country’s flag carrier, with flights to Beijing, Birmingham, England, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Kano, Nigeria. The Saudi Aviation Connectivity Program, funded by the government-owned Public Investment Fund, will support the suggested services.