Saudi Air Connectivity Program Negotiates with Global Firms to Expand Routes to Kingdom

The Saudi Air Connectivity Program participating at the Routes World 2024 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Air Connectivity Program participating at the Routes World 2024 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Air Connectivity Program Negotiates with Global Firms to Expand Routes to Kingdom

The Saudi Air Connectivity Program participating at the Routes World 2024 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Air Connectivity Program participating at the Routes World 2024 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Air Connectivity Program is meeting with major international transport companies at the Routes World 2024 in Manama, Bahrain.

The goal is to attract these companies to the local market, boosting air routes to 250 destinations and aiming to welcome 150 million visitors by 2030.

The program is participating in the three-day event to highlight services and opportunities for improving air connectivity with Saudi Arabia and reaching international markets.

The Saudi Air Connectivity Program has scheduled over 100 meetings at Routes World 2024 with global aviation leaders to discuss partnerships and showcase Saudi Arabia's strategic location as it seeks to expand international air routes.

Rashed Al-Shammari, the program’s Executive Vice President of Commercial Affairs, shared that discussions took place with airlines from Europe, including Switzerland, Germany, and the UK, as well as companies from China.

They explored opportunities for launching new direct flights to Saudi Arabia.

Adding New Seats

Al-Shammari highlighted that the program met with airline decision-makers to present opportunities for both currently served routes, which aim to expand flights, and underserved routes needing additional flights and seats.

He confirmed that interested companies expressed a desire to enter the Saudi market, but attracting them may take six months to five years, depending on factors like distance, aircraft availability, and profitability, especially following the COVID-19 crisis’s impact on the aviation industry.

Looking forward, Al-Shammari announced that follow-up meetings would focus on persuading airlines to establish new routes to underserved markets or enhance existing services.

Strengthening Partnerships

The program invites interested parties to visit its booth at Routes World 2024, where aviation leaders can learn about opportunities available across Saudi Arabia's 29 airports.

Launched in 2021, the Saudi Air Connectivity Program aims to boost tourism by improving air links between Saudi Arabia and the world through developing existing and new routes.

It works as the executive enabler of the National Tourism Strategy and the National Aviation Strategy to foster collaboration between public and private sectors in tourism and aviation, enhancing Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading global destination.



China Seeks to Bolster Ports and Aviation Hubs in Western Regions

The city skyline is reflected in a pool left on the dry riverbed of the receding Jialing river, a tributary of the Yangtze, that is approaching record-low water levels during a regional drought in Chongqing, China, August 20, 2022.  (Reuters)
The city skyline is reflected in a pool left on the dry riverbed of the receding Jialing river, a tributary of the Yangtze, that is approaching record-low water levels during a regional drought in Chongqing, China, August 20, 2022. (Reuters)
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China Seeks to Bolster Ports and Aviation Hubs in Western Regions

The city skyline is reflected in a pool left on the dry riverbed of the receding Jialing river, a tributary of the Yangtze, that is approaching record-low water levels during a regional drought in Chongqing, China, August 20, 2022.  (Reuters)
The city skyline is reflected in a pool left on the dry riverbed of the receding Jialing river, a tributary of the Yangtze, that is approaching record-low water levels during a regional drought in Chongqing, China, August 20, 2022. (Reuters)

China said on Sunday it would launch 15 measures to bolster the development of its western provinces with the construction of logistical infrastructure such as ports and aviation hubs.

The General Administration of Customs said the measures would enhance the integration of rail, air, river and sea links in China's west, state media reported.

The measures are to include enhancing international aviation hubs in cities including Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Xi'an and Urumqi, while developing comprehensive bonded zones, and integrating these with ports and other transport links.

A number of ports would also be built and expanded.

China has long sought to bolster the economic heft of its western regions, which have markedly lagged coastal provinces.

China's western regions comprise around two-thirds of the country's land area and include regions such as Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Xinjiang and Tibet.

China's Politburo last year called for a "new urbanization" of western China to revitalize rural areas, expand poverty alleviation efforts and strengthen energy resources. Efforts have also been made to increase linkages to Europe and South Asia through trade corridors including rail freight routes.