Saudi Arabia’s Air Connectivity Program (ACP) has partnered with the world’s premium leisure airline beOnd to explore connecting The Red Sea destination with six major European gateways.
Vision 2030 Alignment
Deep Dive: During the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 in London, the ACP and beOnd signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to operate direct air routes linking the Red Sea International Airport (RSI) with London, Paris, Moscow, Milan, Munich, and Zurich.
The Impact: These new routes will boost tourism flows, diversify travel options, and advance air connectivity objectives under Saudi Vision 2030, aimed at advancing economic growth as well as elevating the Kingdom’s status as a premier global tourism hub.
Backstory: The RSI welcomed the first direct European flight coming from Milan through beOnd on November 12, 2025, offering European travelers seamless access to The Red Sea and AMAALA – two unique destinations where they can immerse in luxurious and natural experiences.
Boosting Air Connectivity
What They Said: “The partnership reflects the ACP’s continued efforts to expand the Kingdom’s air connectivity network by forging strategic partnerships with international airlines, supporting the objectives of the Aviation Program and the National Tourism Strategy, while further reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for aviation connectivity and tourism.” – Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, Executive Committee Chairman of the ACP.
“The launch of the new direct routes builds on the successful introduction in November 2025 of beOnd’s Milan–The Red Sea service, the first direct connection between Europe and The Red Sea, and marks the next phase of beOnd’s long-term expansion and multi-destination growth strategy.” – Tero Taskila, CEO and Chairman of beOnd.
“This is another important step in accelerating the growth of regenerative tourism and welcoming more guests to experience a destination unlike any other.” – John Pagano, Group CEO of Red Sea Global.
Flashback: The agreement comes amid rapid expansion across the region’s aviation infrastructure. In June 2026, Red Sea Global completed the modernization of AlWajh International Airport, which also serves as a primary gateway to AMAALA. The upgrade elevated the airport’s annual capacity from 100,000 to 500,000 passengers, enabling it to manage a peak flow of 330 arriving and departing travelers per hour across four gates.
