Direct flights between capital of Saudi Arabia and Malaga Airport take off again

The flag carrier of Saudi Arabia - Saudia Airlines - now connects the Costa del Sol with the capital Riyadh again. Last week, the company launched a new connection operating with three frequencies a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Back in April, Saudia Airlines announced that it was going to include Malaga as one of its new international routes for the 2025 high season. The Costa del Sol was incorporated as one of the ten new destinations in the company's global network.

On Wednesday, 11 June, the first Saudia Airlines flight landed in Malaga, after which the aircraft departed back to Riyadh a little before 4pm on Saturday. The new route will operate until 30 August.

This is not the first time that Malaga has had a connection to Saudi Arabia's capital - there have been regular summer operations since 2018. It was last year that frequencies increased from two to three.

The company, with daily operations that exceed 530 flights in its worldwide network, operates the connection to the Costa del Sol with a Boeing 787-9, with 290 seats. The airline says that the expansion planned for this summer "is facilitated by Saudia's modern fleet of 147 Boeing and Airbus aircraft, known for their safety and efficiency". The plan for the coming years foresees the delivery of 118 new aircraft, which will further increase the airline's operational capacity.

At the presentation of the new summer destinations, Ibrahim Al-Omar, CEO of Saudia Group, said: "Following last year's operational success, we have launched a strategic plan for 2025, to ensure continued excellence and meet the growing demand for international travel. Our selection of destinations is based on extensive feasibility studies and guest preferences. We are committed to offering our international guests exceptional travel experiences that combine comfort, efficiency and authentic Saudi hospitality." In addition to Malaga, this summer the company is flying to Vienna; Venice; Larnaca in Cyprus; Athens and Heraklion in Greece; Nice; Bali; Antalya in Turkey; El Alamein in Egypt; and Salalah in Oman. These destinations join Saudia's existing network of more than 100 destinations on four continents.

"This strategic growth, driven by a 16% increase in international passenger numbers last year, reflects the airline's commitment to connecting the world and meeting the growing global demand for travel. The new destinations offer a wide range of options spanning Europe, the Middle East and Asia," said the airline, which is engaged in an international development plan to increase its global market share and strengthen connectivity between Saudi Arabia and the world.