FlightGlobal
• David Kaminski-Morrow
Air Arabia’s new Saudi budget carrier will begin operations on Sept. 20 with flights from Dammam to Riyadh, Jeddah and Medinah. Riyadh and Jeddah will receive twice-daily service, while Medinah will be served daily, establishing the airline’s initial domestic network across major Saudi cities.
Saudi Arabia
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Saudi air defenses destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered prohibited airspace, according to the Saudi-led coalition. The incident marks the second reported Houthi attempt to target the holy city, following a 2017 ballistic-missile launch, and comes after a week of attacks involving Iran-aligned forces.
Air Arabia’s new Saudi budget carrier will begin operations on Sept. 20 with flights from Dammam to Riyadh, Jeddah and Medinah. Riyadh and Jeddah will receive twice-daily service, while Medinah will be served daily, establishing the airline’s initial domestic network across major Saudi cities.
High activity
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation has issued an Air Operator Certificate to an Air Arabia-led consortium, clearing the way for a new low-cost national carrier based at Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport. The approval marks a key regulatory step toward launching the airline.
Saudi Arabia’s leading telecommunications provider, stc group, has ordered a dedicated satellite from Astranis to deliver satellite communications services. The agreement expands the role of dedicated spacecraft in supporting connectivity requirements in the Saudi market and strengthens Astranis’ position in commercial satellite communications.
Saudi low-cost carrier flynas will acquire a 10% stake in Swissport Saudi Arabia, with an option to raise its holding to 20%. Swissport will become flynas’ exclusive ground-handling provider across its Saudi network for five years, deepening an operating partnership aligned with the Kingdom’s aviation-hub ambitions.
The U.S. government has cleared a potential Saudi Arabian purchase of thousands of Joint Direct Attack Munition–Extended Range weapons, marking the second major air-launched weapons deal approved for Riyadh in recent months and deepening U.S.-Saudi defense ties.
Riyadh Air released photos showing its first Airbus A321neo undergoing final assembly at Airbus’ Hamburg facility in Germany. The aircraft represents the Saudi startup’s forthcoming narrowbody fleet, adding a regional platform alongside its broader plans for long-haul growth and network development.
Universal Aviation has begun operations in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, establishing its first facility in the Kingdom. The company says additional facilities are planned, signaling an expansion of its presence in Saudi Arabia’s business aviation market and a broader regional operating footprint.
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