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Delta Air Lines will launch direct flights to Saudi Arabia in October, the first by a US carrier in 25 years, the airline’s president told Semafor. Flights will begin just ahead of Saudi Arabia’s flagship annual conference, the Future Investment Initiative. Ticket sales have so far been “softer than anticipated” due to the Iran conflict, but “we think this is going to be temporary,” Peter Carter said in an interview from Riyadh.
Saudi airspace has mostly stayed open during the war, while other regional hubs were disrupted for weeks. That may boost Riyadh’s role in regional travel, said Carter. “Dubai has been viewed as a safe haven, and I think this conflict changed that, and now Riyadh is seen as the regional safe haven,” he said.
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Delta’s commitment to the Saudi route comes as many other airlines have been cancelling flights. Virgin Atlantic dropped its London-Riyadh route , while Air Canada, Air France, and British Airways have cancelled services to most Gulf cities until at least October. Delta will begin flying an Airbus A350 from Atlanta to Riyadh on 23 October.
