Saudi Arabia’s Air Connectivity Program (ACP), in partnership with national carrier Saudia, is expanding seat capacity on several international routes during 2026 as the Kingdom seeks to strengthen connections with key global markets.

The additional capacity is intended to accommodate rising travel demand, improve access to Saudi Arabia and provide passengers with a wider range of flight options, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Connectivity between Saudi Arabia and China has been expanded through additional services on two routes.

The Guangzhou-Jeddah route will receive one additional weekly flight, increasing the frequency to four flights per week. The expanded service will provide more than 124,000 seats annually in both directions.

The Beijing Daxing-Riyadh route will also gain one additional weekly service, raising the frequency to three flights per week and increasing annual capacity to more than 93,000 seats in both directions.

Air links between Saudi Arabia and the United States have also been strengthened. Three additional weekly flights have been added to the New York-Jeddah route, increasing the total to seven weekly services and providing more than 211,000 seats annually in both directions.

The ACP said the expanded services form part of its continuing cooperation with Saudi national airlines to develop international routes and improve connectivity with priority markets.

The initiative is also aimed at attracting more international visitors, responding to growing passenger demand and offering travelers greater flexibility.

The program supports the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s National Tourism Strategy and Aviation Sector Strategy, which are aligned with the broader goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The Air Connectivity Program was established to support the expansion of Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry by strengthening links with international markets, developing existing routes and introducing new destinations.

The Kingdom aims to establish air links with 250 international destinations by 2030.

As an executive enabler of the National Tourism Strategy and Aviation Program, ACP works with government and private-sector partners across the tourism and aviation sectors to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading global tourism destination.

Source: TradeArabia

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) will operate 66 domestic and international routes under its winter 2026/27 timetable, covering key destinations across Europe, Australia and Asia.

The seasonal schedule will run from October 25, 2026, to March 27, 2027, aligning with Thailand’s peak tourism period.

THAI announced the programme on September 2, 2026, saying it had increased selected services and flight frequencies in response to passenger bookings and travel demand. The airline is also using the winter schedule to strengthen its network connectivity through Bangkok.

The carrier’s winter network will include 15 routes to Europe and Australia, 43 routes across Asia and eight domestic routes.

Source: QCAA

Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline flyadeal, part of Saudia Group, has expanded its operations in Pakistan with the launch of a new direct route linking Madinah with Karachi.

The airline will operate two flights per week on the new route, deploying Airbus A320neo aircraft equipped with 186 Economy Class seats.

With the addition of Madinah, Karachi is now connected by flyadeal to three Saudi cities, following the airline’s existing services from Jeddah and Riyadh.

The new route also takes flyadeal’s total number of destinations in Pakistan to seven, highlighting the carrier’s continued expansion in the market.

Abdulaziz Bahri, Chief Operating Officer of flyadeal, said the launch demonstrates the airline’s growing commitment to Pakistan, where demand has continued to strengthen across its international network.

Bahri noted that flyadeal began serving Pakistan with two routes last year and has since expanded to seven. He said the rapid growth reflects the strong economic, cultural and people-to-people ties between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, alongside growing demand for the airline’s modern, efficient, friendly and affordable services.

Source: TradeArabia

Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi-based AI technology company ROX have agreed to explore potential areas of collaboration, with the partnership initially centred on ROX’s Africa Grand Tour S2.

Under the memorandum of understanding, Etihad’s brand will appear on the vehicle used for the overland expedition. The companies will also consider joint content, storytelling and marketing initiatives linked to the tour, creating an opportunity to connect air travel with ground mobility and destination experiences across Africa.

ROX’s Africa Grand Tour S2 is an extended overland expedition across the continent featuring the ROX ADAMAS. The journey is intended to demonstrate the vehicle’s capabilities across a wide range of destinations and driving conditions while generating content around travel, exploration and mobility.

The initiative will serve as an initial platform for Etihad and ROX to explore ways of combining air connectivity, ground transportation and destination experiences through storytelling and content.

The MoU was signed in Abu Dhabi during the inauguration of ROX’s Advanced AI Manufacturing Centre. Beyond the Africa Grand Tour, the agreement provides a broader framework for the two companies to examine potential cooperation in intelligent mobility, technology, lifestyle innovation, future travel experiences and destination-focused mobility.

Etihad Airways CEO Antonoaldo Neves said the Africa Grand Tour offers an opportunity to bring together travel, destinations, mobility and storytelling.

“From Abu Dhabi, Etihad connects people to a growing global network, and we are always interested in new ideas that can enhance how people experience the places they travel to,” Neves said. He added that the MoU would allow both sides to assess potential areas of alignment and the prospects for future collaboration.

Yan Feng, CEO of ROX, said the company was established with the aim of developing intelligent mobility solutions that connect people, technology and destinations.

He described the Africa Grand Tour as a starting point for exploring broader opportunities in intelligent mobility, travel and lifestyle, adding that ROX and Etihad could complement each other by connecting land-based exploration with air travel.

Both companies are headquartered in Abu Dhabi and see potential for their respective technologies, capabilities and brands to work together, beginning with the Africa Grand Tour S2.

Source: WAM

Air Arabia is expanding its services to Thailand by adding a fourth daily non-stop flight between Sharjah and Bangkok, strengthening air connectivity between the UAE and Southeast Asia.

The additional frequency will begin on October 25, 2026, increasing the airline’s Sharjah-Bangkok operations to 28 non-stop flights per week and giving passengers more travel options.

The expanded Bangkok schedule complements Air Arabia’s existing 21 weekly non-stop flights between Sharjah and Phuket, strengthening its presence in two of Thailand’s major destinations.

Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said the increased Bangkok service reflects the importance of Thailand to the airline’s network and growing demand for affordable travel between the UAE and Southeast Asia.

He said increasing Bangkok operations to four daily flights, alongside the existing Phuket service, would give passengers greater flexibility while enhancing Sharjah’s connectivity with Thailand.

With the new frequency, Air Arabia will operate a combined 49 non-stop weekly flights between Sharjah and Bangkok and Phuket, making Thailand one of its key destinations in Southeast Asia.

The expanded schedule will also provide passengers travelling from the UAE with more flexibility when planning direct journeys from Sharjah.

Source: ZAWYA