beOnd plans six European links to Red Sea

Saudi Arabia’s Air Connectivity Program has signed an agreement with premium leisure airline beOnd to explore direct flights between Red Sea International Airport and six major European cities.

The proposed all-premium services would connect the Red Sea tourism destination with London, Paris, Moscow, Milan, Munich and Zurich. The memorandum of understanding was signed during Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, held near London from July 20 to 24.

The partnership is intended to widen access to the Red Sea coast from priority tourism markets while supporting the kingdom’s broader aviation and visitor-growth plans. Flight schedules, launch dates and frequencies have not been disclosed, indicating that the routes remain subject to commercial assessment, regulatory approvals and operational planning.

beOnd specialises in leisure-focused services using aircraft configured entirely with premium seating. Its cabins feature lie-flat seats, positioning the carrier between conventional business-class airlines and private aviation operators. The company is headquartered in Dubai, while its established operating base is at Velana International Airport in the Maldives.

Milan is already linked with Red Sea International Airport through beOnd. The airline operated the first direct passenger service from Europe to the airport in November 2025, establishing a route from Milan Malpensa. Expanding the network to five additional cities would give the Red Sea destination direct access to several of Europe’s largest luxury travel markets.

London and Paris would provide connections to two of the continent’s biggest international aviation centres. Milan, Munich and Zurich serve affluent catchment areas with strong demand for premium leisure travel, while Moscow offers access to a market that has remained important for high-end resort destinations across the Middle East and Indian Ocean.

The proposed flights would also reduce reliance on connections through Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai, Doha and other regional hubs. Direct services are considered particularly important for resort destinations, where passengers often favour shorter journey times, simplified baggage handling and premium transfers from airport to hotel.

Air Connectivity Program Executive Committee chairman Abdulaziz Al-Duailej said the agreement reflected continuing efforts to build partnerships with international airlines and strengthen links with strategically important markets. He said the initiative supported the national aviation programme and tourism strategy while reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as an international aviation and visitor hub.

The Air Connectivity Program was established in 2021 to support airlines opening new routes or expanding services to Saudi destinations. It works with carriers, airports and tourism authorities to identify markets where additional capacity could stimulate demand and improve access.

The programme has become an important instrument in the kingdom’s attempt to expand beyond flights concentrated at its largest cities. Tourism developments including the Red Sea, AlUla and the Aseer region require international connections that can carry passengers directly to destinations outside the traditional Riyadh-Jeddah-Dammam network.

Red Sea International Airport began receiving scheduled domestic flights in September 2023. International operations followed in April 2024 with a service linking the airport and Dubai. The airport is designed to serve about one million passengers annually when the wider destination reaches full development, with capacity for approximately 900 passengers an hour during peak periods.

Located on the western coast, the airport serves The Red Sea and AMAALA developments. The terminal has been designed around smaller passenger-processing areas rather than a single large central hall, reflecting the destination’s emphasis on personalised and lower-density tourism.

The Red Sea development is planned to include 50 resorts by 2030, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland locations. Several hotels are already operating, increasing pressure to add international airline capacity as more accommodation enters the market.

Saudi Arabia’s aviation strategy targets annual passenger capacity of 330 million and connections to more than 250 destinations by 2030. It also seeks to raise air cargo capacity to 4.5 million tonnes while attracting investment into airlines, airports, maintenance facilities and logistics infrastructure.

The beOnd agreement fits an emerging model in which airlines are encouraged to serve individual tourism zones rather than directing all overseas passengers through major city hubs. This approach could help develop airports near resorts while providing carriers with access to travellers willing to pay more for direct and premium services.

beOnd has also started the process of establishing an airline operation in Saudi Arabia and securing a local air operator certificate. The company has said it aims to carry one million luxury travellers by 2030, a target that would require a larger fleet and a considerably broader network.

Its Red Sea expansion will depend on aircraft availability, seasonal demand and the commercial performance of the Milan service. All-premium airlines face higher exposure to changes in discretionary spending because they depend on a narrower passenger base than mixed-cabin carriers.