MADINAH: Majid Khan, the CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Air Connectivity Program, said that over 700,000 seats had been set aside to accommodate Umrah and tourist traffic until the first quarter of 2025. Khan stated that the objective is to have 2.5 million seats by the end of 2025, with an emphasis on better international aviation connections to the city, while speaking at the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum in Madinah.
“Enriching the Experience of Umrah Performers and Visitors” is the topic of the three-day forum, which got underway on April 14. The Pilgrim Experience Program and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah coordinated it. According to Khan, in accordance with the National Tourism Strategy, the program focusses on important markets such as Europe, the Gulf, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Indonesia.
He noted that this year would see the opening of the third direct Umrah route from Germany: a new aviation route from Stuttgart to Jeddah. According to Khan, additional flights from Berlin and Cologne to Jeddah have also been added, along with new airlines like Eurowings. Transavia, a French airline, will shortly begin operating flights to Jeddah from Paris and Lyon. Additionally, Khan stated that a daily trip from London’s Gatwick to Madinah will add about 180,000 seats beginning in August.
Twelve airlines and twenty additional routes to Saudi Arabia were introduced as part of the scheme earlier this year, bringing the total number of tickets to 1.5 million. ITA Airways, British Airways, Eurowings, Transavia, and Wizz Air are recent entrants.
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